Refining the Roster: Mommy, River Took My Doll!

Well that was fast. Just last week we were wondering if Gallardo's no-show at the first week of training camp meant post-surgery fitness issues (ugh!) or a prima-donna scared of snow (double ugh!). Now he's gone, and a world of possible futures are taking shape on the horizon. Gomez? More defensive help? Another DP?

But first things first. Let's update the roster to reflect Gallardo's departure. While we're at it, we'll toss Roger and Jacobson on the senior roster list as it seems that paperwork is the only thing standing in the way of their acquisitions. Which leaves us with (updates in bold red and a drumroll please). . .


The (Incomplete) Roster

1. (I) Crayton, GK
2. Wells, GK
3. Janicki, D

4. Namoff, D
5. (I) Roger, D

6. Burch, D/M

7. Guerrero, D/M

8. McTavish, D/M

9. (I) Fred, M
10. Jacobson, M

11. Simms, M

12. Vide, M

13. Khumalo, M/F

14. Pontius M/F - he signed a pre-draft deal, I'm assuming it's not developmental?

15. Quaranta, M/F

16. (I) Emilio, F

17. Moreno, F

18. (I) Doe, F
19.

20.

21. (D,GA) Wallace, D/M

22.

23.

24.

. . . leaving two senior and three developmental spots to fill, as well as two open international spots for potential additions. Of course, if we can convince more players to accept ridiculous developmental deals, the roster regulations would permit as many as six developmental players, thus reducing making the senior roster "feature complete." Now on to . . .


The Questionables

1. (I?) Kocic, GK - negotiating, rejected Euro-offer--wants to give MLS a shot
2. Thorpe, GK - fighting Kocic for the #3 spot?
3. Veris, D - big center back on trial, impressed enough to travel to Florida

4. Adams, D - still wandering around Europe

5. Zaher, D - fighting for scraps as fullback depth, Adams in Europe opens the door

6. Miller, D/M - ditto

7. Mediate, D/M - will he be able to earn a senior roster spot?
8. (I) Gonzalo Martinez, D - option not picked up; almost certainly gone, but still on roster

9. Olsen, M - will he be able to beat the injury bug?

10. Barklage, M/F - willing to sign a dev deal? no Cordeiro/Kirk/Thomspon = fighting chance
11. (I) Walter Martinez, M/F - waiting for confirmation that he's gone to Alaves

You'll note that the Mivdun (Mystery Veteran Defender of Unknown Nationality) is off the list. I'm making the assumption that Roger was the Mivdun, though the cap space freed by shipping Gallardo may allow for the pursuit of another foreign defensive target. I'll just hazard a guess that the failure of last year's dual-defensive-import strategy and the FO's continued assurances that everything is "just fine" means we won't be showing any further ambition in this department.

So, how are we looking? We've beefed up the defense (and defensive midfield) slightly, but are still sorely lacking in physical presence at the back (fingers crossed that Veris morphed into Gooch Jr. during his stay in the Scandanavian Defender Mines . . ? Hey, a man can dream, can't he?). We've got a Gallardo-shaped hole (or is it a Gomez-shaped hole that Gallardo couldn't fill?) and a bunch of square pegs (Moreno, Fred, Quaranta) that might fill it. And still no sign of a true wide threat or more speed up top. Hell, speed anywhere would be nice at this point.

So what would you do with those final two senior roster spots? Gomez? Veris? Another Mivdun? A right winger (the first person to mention Ronnie O'Brien gets shot!)? A speedy forward? Another DP? Keep in mind that a healthy Olsen eats one of those spots as well, so you may only have room for one more on the boat. Unless, of course, you're willing to cut somebody loose. Perhaps a USL-2 import in his late twenties who doesn't finish particularly well?

More Changes Gonna Come?

Fantastic read on the (much needed) changes being implemented in US youth development programs. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Check it out. Now!

Holding Pattern

I was going to go ahead with another "Refining the Roster" update this morning, but with all the feathers that are flying (settle down, Talon!), I figured I'd wait until we have some definitive news before going full bore with the numbers and lists. So what are we waiting on . . ?

1. Gallardo on the slow boat . . . or is that the hospital ship back to Argentina? The deal is apparently almost done, though if the word is true that the last hurdle to be cleared is a physical, then let's not start counting our chickens.
2. Jacobson, with tail firmly between legs . . . returns to the club that drafted him a year ago. Goff says he won't be pulling a hefty salary, but there's no mention if that's a low $33k senior roster salary or a microscopic developmental salary. Whatever the case, he's depth for the central midfield, perhaps an indication that we're moving towards a different tactical approach. He's also got some decent size, so I wonder if the FO might be looking at him as a center back conversion project, à la Ryan Nelsen?
3. Roger, you are cleared for landing . . . and we'll have to have faith that the FO know what they're doing. Will he be a left back? If so, where does Burch go? Please don't tell me it's into the middle. If Roger goes in the middle as a veteran organizer, does he speak any English to do said organizing? And he still needs a partner. Who's that going to be? Janicki? Veris? McTavish? I hope we're not done shopping.

As Stollar noted, we've got a handful of different directions we can take here. My personal hope? I'd like to see another central defender and a right wing. Gomez was a great player for this club, but we've got the withdrawn forward/playmaker role pretty much covered between Fred, Quaranta, and Moreno.

The cleared cap space would be much more effectively spent on two guys with enough talent to step right into the lineup than it would on one guy who might give you 60-70 minutes per game, no matter how good those 60-70 minutes are. Lest we forget--before we started to fade down the stretch, we were one of the higher scoring sides in the league. It was keeping them out that was the problem. Does Gomez fix that problem?

A Change Is Gonna Come?

The Good Ship United is drifting rudderless through the troubled waters of the Gomez/Gallardo drama, gaping holes in its hull, and the FO's bilge pump is apparently broken or lost somewhere in South America. And the vast unwashed ranks of United internet-nut-jobbery seem to be just as confused as the club's braintrust. Are we supposed to be cautiously optimistic, idling in neutral, or strapping on the sandwich boards and proclaiming that "the end is nigh"? The only thing that seems to be certain is that a change is brewing.

And that raises some questions.

• Do we need a playmaking midfielder? The consensus seems to be that if Gallardo goes, then we need to bring in somebody to fill the Muñeco-shaped hole in our roster. Why? Are we so conditioned by likes of Etcheverry and Gomez that we'd have phantom limb syndrome without one? What's to keep us from putting out two water carriers in central midfield and allowing Moreno, Quaranta, or hell, even Fred for that matter, to play beneath the other striker? Given the sorry state of our current central defense, it might not be a bad idea to clog the midfield ahead of them. Besides, doesn't it seem that teams clog the middle against us anyway? Why play into their hands?
  
• Where should the money go? Why should the $400k in cleared salary be filled with more attacking midfield talent? If anything, we need a solid defender or two and maybe a winger. Yes, we could play Fred or Quaranta as wingers, but are they really? Not in my book. Wingers aside, the big issue is obviously (and gods do I know I'm harping on this--sorry) the center of defense. We've got what? A USL-2 kid (Janicki) who may or may not pan out but looked promising in a handful of tough games down the stretch last year. A solid pro (McTavish) who fills a lot of holes as a utility man but isn't ideal in the middle. And a big body (Veris) on trial who wasn't exactly stellar in MLS or the Norwegian second division but "intrigues" the FO with his size and athleticism.
  
• Is age really the answer? Let's face it, Gomez wasn't a 90 minute player when he left last year, and another year doesn't do him any favors in the fitness department. If you put him and Jaime out there as starters, you've got to figure that they'll both need to come off at some point. That's a hell of a tactical limitation to be going into a game with, and Tommy's already got his own innate set of tactical limitations without having more foisted on his shoulders. Now let's consider how many years we think we can get out of Gomez. It seems to me that there's too much short-term planning going on. Rather than splashing the cash on "been there, done that" veterans, perhaps it's time to look for a little youth and hunger to build around.

And there are other questions, I'm sure, so fire away in the comments. I don't really have any answers. If I did, perhaps I'd be gainfully employed in soccer management or coaching somewhere rather than toiling on the intar-webs and playing too much Football Manager. All I know is . . .

If You're Happy And You Know It . . .

Take a look at his face.  Kid in a freakin' candy store.  Siyanara Becks!  It was nice to have you visiting these shores for a while.  Enjoy Milan.

Argentine Beef, Partido Dos!

The plot thickens.

So Gallardo "clearly doesn't want to be" here, and Gomez "desperately wants" to come back. Well, that takes care of the motivation angle, doesn't it? But what about the other big factors? Namely . . .

1. Salary! Gomez is pulling down $400k. Although ditching Gallardo saves the ownership over a mil in DP outlay, swapping Gomez for Gallardo would net us nothing against the cap, because only the first $400k of Gallardo's salary counts anyway. Basically, we'd be making a straight swap with no possibility of extra cash for more signings, unless . . . the cRapids take part of the cap hit. Given that they've already used a first round pick and a DP slot to get Gomez from us in the first place, and he did almost nothing for them, this is tantamount to kicking them in the collective nuts, going for the full atomic wedgie, and then shoving their half-naked body into the girls' locker room. Still, if any team deserved (and would put up with) such punishment . . .
   
2. Contribution! Sure, I think we can all agree that Gallardo is the more talented player. But how does that balance against the dedication and the injuries? Is a Gomez that can only play 60 minutes a game, but turns out for the whole season, shows some fighting spirit, and is good enough to actually have been the league MVP, greater than, equal to, or less than a Gallardo healthy enough to participate in about a third of the matches, theoretically has the talent to be an MVP candidate, and may be less than dedicated to the cause?
3. Chemistry! Gomez plays well as a part of this team, but did the manner of his departure poison any of the wells in the locker room? That's "wells" not "Wells"! (Although poisoning Wells might do him a power of good with the fans, it probably wouldn't please his teammates ;-) Whatever the case, Gomez' proven compatibility with the team on the field is more of a certainty than Gallardo's flashes of connection thus far.
4. Formation! Remember all of that mental scurrying about I was doing to try and come up with a formation that would allow Gallardo to shine while still creating a sense of defensive solidity? That doesn't change much with Gomez. He needs just the same amount of cover as Gallardo does, perhaps more, as his tendency is to play a little higher and pick up the ball in the gap between midfield and the defense to start the break.
   

So what are we to conclude? Sad to say, particularly given my fine memories of Gomez on and off the field, but it looks to me like the whole thing works out to somewhere in the vicinity of a wash that makes us a year older. With news swirling that we've missed out on landing the Honduran hit-man, Walter Martinez, and the only prospect of defensive help coming from an aged Brazilian fullback with a bad back and the big but talentless Kyle Veris, the gloom is continuing to creep across the United blogosphere.

What do you think? Do you want Gomez back? Will you cheerfully wave bye-bye to Gallardo? Worried about that defense? Worried about the FO?

Vamos United?

Argentine Beef?

So, I'm flipping through the RSS feeds this morning, and I come across Goff's bit of speculation regarding Gomez/Gallardo and their respective futures vis-a-vis DC United. I file this in my noggin alongside the fact that Seattle took Ianni (a center back? don't we need a few of them?) off Houston's hands for a conditional second/third round pick despite the plummeting value of anything but first round picks given the reduction in roster sizes. And, of course, that gets me drawing some comparisons between Sigi's solution to central defensive depth (young, cheap, hungry American with MLS experience) vs. the United FO's seeming attempt to fill the gap with a short, converted 34-year-old fullback with injury issues, no MLS experience, and a language barrier to boot, looking for a final paycheck and a retirement move to the States.

I'm getting the sinking suspicion that visits to RFK are going to be like weekly visits to a doddering, elderly uncle in the nursing home. He's got great stories to tell, and you can bask in the reflected glory of his past genius, but then you've got to lend him an arm to shuffle about the grounds at a snail's pace. And all the while, you're trying to convince yourself that you're having more fun here than you would be backpacking across central Europe with your college-aged cousin, swimming vats of plentiful beer, fast crowds, and relaxed morals.

Don't get me wrong, I'd part with Gallardo pretty quickly. It's not that I don't believe in his talent, it's that I don't think he has any dedication to the cause, and that's going to effect what he can accomplish here. He may spew pretty words about the faith shown in him and how he wants to prove he's worth his salary, but actions speak louder than words. I'd have no problem letting that mess go and moving on.

But is bringing back Gomez really moving on? I loved Gomez in his time here, but he's also in that 30-something world of fading fitness and is putting the finishing touches on his professional career. That can be said of more than one member of this team. Shouldn't the FO be looking to establish a core of youngsters hungry to fill blank canvases, to start lining their pockets with silverware? It would be naive to think that they don't know what they're doing--we're only a year removed from back-to-back Supporters' Shields after all.

But there is usually a fine balance to be found in successful teams--a balance between ambitious youth and veteran savvy. United's scale is, sadly, tipped far too much in favor of the latter. Will we do deals or make signings to rectify this, or do the cap numbers, guaranteed contracts, and FO's undying lust for aged Sudamericanos doom us to the doddering uncle this year?

Monday Back-Pass: The Great LA Midfield Exodus

. . . and Lo! The mountains were split asunder, and the seas drew back.
For the Midfielders of sprawling Los Angeles were on the march.
To Mexico! To Germany! To Scotland! And yea, verily, even unto Italy!
They mounted their glittering steeds, bade farewell
To the denizens of the Mighty (yet half-empty) Toolbox,
Strapped on their many hued boots,
And departed to a great gnashing of teeth.
Behold the weeping of shirt sponsors!
The wailing of the MLS ad-sales gnomes!
These were surely the final days . . .

Yes, there was the FA Cup 4th round, featuring a second Merseyside derby in quick succession (soon to be a third), Carrick and Berbatov doing the bloody knife-work on their old side, and the Blue Square Premier sides producing memorable displays. And yes, Barca continued to plow unchecked through La Liga while Real struggle gamely in their wake. True, there was the spectacle of the Annual Scandanavian Scrub Challenge, played in front of a living-room sized audience at the HDC. But the developing story is the Great Los Angeles Midfield Exodus.

First to go was Chivas USA's Mendoza, recalled by the Great Horned Goddess to the "mothership", as it seems MLS bloggers, journalists, et al, are legally required to refer to the Mexican parent club. Then Donovan started banging in the goals for Bayern in their warmups for the second half of the season, prompting much speculation about the duration of his loan.

Now, the other most-prominent midfielder at each of the LA-based MLS clubs is the subject of much breathless rumor-mongering and transfer-talk. Sacha Kljestan took a brief break from the USA's January camp to provide a test drive for Celtic, who have opened the bidding, though they're not the only suitor. This weekend's hat-trick against the Swedes will only serve to make this next week the more interesting. Bidding war?

But the big story, of course, is the "savior" of American soccer, Saint David himself, who managed to score for Milan this weekend. The worry for me isn't that he'll impress, it's that huge smile he breaks into and the way his new Milan teammates mob him after the goal. Forgive me if I haven't been paying close enough attention, but when has Beckham ever shown any glee in MLS? He looks rejuvenated and happy, rather than the dour, serious Beckham sporting the occasional half-smile that seems to be his de rigueur "MLS face." Witness! And wonder . . .

Match Reaction - US v. Sweden

So the Annual Scandanavian Scrub Challenge has come and gone. Did we really learn anything? I mean, beyond the obvious fact that there were guys on the field for the US that have no business wearing the shirt?

Still, the US were the better side throughout, though when the Swedes threw on some kids and started to press the issue, things started to unravel a bit for what has to charitably go down as a pretty lame back line trying to hang onto the lead. Wynne (big future, defensive ability consists entirely of recovery speed) + Califf (bull in china shop) + Ihemelu (WTF? Seriously?) + Wingert (you have absolutely got to be kidding me, right?) = trouble. To the talking points!

* Kljestan "planted his spear" in Hudson-speak. The free kick, the desire to take the PK, the passing, the clever little touches to create space . . . the ground he covered! Count me as more than a little surprised at that last bit. I've never really seen him as a 2-way mid, but whether it was by virtue of the fact that he was naturally roaming in search of the ball, or just through sheer desire, he was popping up everywhere in attack and even put in a reasonable showing in defense. Sure, his defense, in true playmaking dandy style, consisted of poking a toe in here and there, but it got the job done. And he was a little more convincing challenging for headers. But it wasn't just the goals that marked him as the best player on the park. The big question is: are there "emo-chicks" in Glasgow?

* Chinger is frustrating the living crap out of me! Despite his ability to hold and play the quick one-touch game beautifully at times, his limitations become all too obvious when he doesn't have a defender draped all over him. Case in point--Chinger leading the breakaway with Robbie Rogers tearing into space at a great angle and Davies wide right with the retreating defenders shading towards him. Chinger dishes to Davies and a nation (okay, the thousand or so of you who watched this game) groaned (excepting Bretos, who chose, mysteriously or predictably?, to praise the decision). But then the Chingster will pull off a slick little give and go, or the magical bit of control and layoff that created Kljestan's third. And he just plain works his socks off. It's just a shame there isn't that little bit more that would take him from good, reliable player to quality international capable of getting it done against opposition better than the standard CONCACAF and Scandanavian B-side. As it stands, we're just treading water up top until a true solution presents itself . . .

* Who impressed? Besides the obvious choice of Kljestan, I thought that Rico Clark had a decent game, though he's also frustrating in that you want to rein him in a bit, tell him to play a more patient, less direct passing game like Carroll, or maybe not go in quite so hard when he doesn't need to, but you know if you do it, you'll kill that dynamic part of his game that makes him such an interesting player. Parkhurst was his usual smart self, cleaning up messes and playing simple balls in ways that you fail to notice until some blundering incompetent like Ihemelu gets handed the keys to the joint.

* What about the ho-hums? Thorrington. I wasn't happy to see him starting, but he didn't shoot himself in the foot like some others did. What impressed me was his first touch, which stood out in comparison to some of the lead feet on display. That said, he didn't look to get forward nearly enough for my liking, and he didn't have the pace or guile to do any damage when he did. B-team depth at best. Wynne. Yes, he's athletic as hell and looks good getting forward, but he certainly can't be mistaken for a defender yet. Sure he can get back and snuff out chances, but often those chances come from his own poor positioning and reading of the game. the promise is there though. Now if someone will just talk him through the importance of closing down wingers before they have a chance to cross (both Sweden goals!).

* Losers? Rogers. Most of his match was an abject failure, but his corners were decent and he did have a spell early in the second half when there were flashes of what he can really do when given space. Still, you've got to rate most of his first cap as pretty dour. Cooper. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing--as usual. Ihemelu + Wingert. The door's over there, don't let it hit you on the ass. Perkins. As a United fan, I wanted to see him do well, but he is what he is--an average keeper. He doesn't make the big play to save the defense's bacon. And his distribution was questionable at best, often bordering on shameful. Sorry, Troy. Davies. Did he do anything of note beyond that one little dash and pull-back cross?

Most of the rest fell somewhere in the middling range. It was often hard to evaluate players when the game often descended into Danny Califf Long Ball Madness territory (though Chinger made it look pretty good on that final goal, didn't he?) and patches of scrappy ping-pong play. The slippery field also didn't do the speedsters any favors. So did we learn anything? I suppose. I'll leave you with my top three take-away messages . . .

(1) Kljestan is ready. He proved tonight that he needs to be in the picture when the big boys play. He roamed, he wanted the ball, he wanted to make things happen, and he did. Here's hoping he doesn't ride the pine at Celtic and poison all of that promise. I'm reminded here of Dempsey's transfer to Fulham. He was lighting up MLS and full of flash and vigor for the Nats, but his confidence took a hit when he wasn't playing regularly for his club. He's getting it back now, but still . . . I'm not saying we need a confident Kljestan for qualifying, but it sure would be nice.

(2) We're stuck with Chinger. Jozy will arrive someday. Cooper might even make the jump. We've got promising forwards in the pipeline, but I don't think (sadly) that any of them are ready to displace Ching quite yet. Which sucks, because he's a good player, but not the level of forward we need to compete in major international competitions (eg. outside CONCACRAP and the Scandanavian Scrub Challenge).

(3) Wide depth needs work. Okay, let's play a little game here. Name your starting wide players for the national team (RM - Dempsey, RB - Cherundolo, LM - Beasley?, LB - Pearce?). The right looks okay, but the left is decidedly questionable. Now do the backups. Trust any of them in a World Cup setting?

So what did you think? Anybody/anything stand out for you? Think the Annual Scandanavian Scrub Challenge has any value? Worried about some of Bob's choices for this camp?

Refining the Roster: Developmental Casualties

Since last we spoke, United's pre-season camp has opened, and we now have a more certain idea of who is in the FO's plans. Most notable is the relatively few developmental players from last year that were invited to pre-season camp. That was always to be expected given the halving of the developmental roster and death of the reserve league, though I wonder if the fact that they didn't even get invites to fight for a spot is an admission that last year's supposed "depth" was anything but.

I'm going to shift the format of these posts slightly and reduce the roster to two sections. Section one is the incomplete 24-man final roster with spots filled by those who seem to me to be "locks" unless they get seriously injured or traded. Though I hesitate to put USL2 imports Khumalo and Janicki in this category, the fact that we signed them and aren't just having them in for trial says they should be here. The second section will be the "questionables"--those who are returning from serious injury, trialists, unsigned draftees, developmental scrappers, etc.

So how do things look?

The (Incomplete) Roster

1. (I) Crayton, GK
2. Wells, GK
3. Janicki, D

4. Namoff, D

5. Burch, D/M

6. Guerrero, D/M

7. McTavish, D/M

8. (I) Fred, M

9. (I) Gallardo, M

10. Simms, M

11. Vide, M

12. Khumalo, M/F

13. Pontius M/F - he signed a pre-draft deal, I'm assuming it's not developmental?

14. Quaranta, M/F

15. (I) Emilio, F

16. Moreno, F

17. (I) Doe, F
18.

19.

20.

21. (D,GA) Wallace, D/M

22.

23.

24.

. . . leaving three senior and three developmental spots to fill, as well as three open international spots for potential additions. Of course, if we can convince more players to accept ridiculous developmental deals, the roster regulations would permit as many as six developmental players, thus reducing the senior roster spots to one. Now on to . . .

The Questionables

1. (I?) Kocic, GK - will he require an international spot? Euro-possible but in camp for now
2. Thorpe, GK - fighting Kocic for the #3 spot?
3. Veris, D - big center back on trial after a stint in the Scandanavian Defender Mines
4. (I) Mystery Foreign Defender, D - as promised by the FO

5. Adams, D - on trial at unknown Euro-club, unwilling to sign a dev deal?

6. Zaher, D - fighting for scraps as fullback depth, Adams in Europe opens the door

7. Miller, D/M - ditto

8. Mediate, D/M - will he be able to earn a senior roster spot?
9. (I) Gonzalo Martinez, D - option not picked up; almost certainly gone, but still on roster

10. Olsen, M - will he be able to beat the injury bug?

11. Barklage, M/F - willing to sign a dev deal? no Cordeiro/Kirk/Thomspon = fighting chance
12. (I) Walter Martinez, M/F - negotiations ongoing for a loan deal

If the decisions were to be made today, I'd guess the developmental spots would be filled by (1) one of Kocic and Thorpe, likely Kocic; (2) one of Adams, Zaher, and Miller, likely Zaher if Adams is gone; and (3) Barklage, absent any other competition. The senior roster spots would be taken by (1) Walter Martinez, assuming we can get the deal done, (2) the Mystery Foreign Defender, and (3) Olsen, assuming his scarred body holds together.

Having said all of that, I assume that more competition will begin arriving shortly for both developmental and senior roster spots, and I'm not 100% convinced that some of the guys I have tentatively listed on the (incomplete) roster are locks to be on this team come First Kick 2009. One saving grace we have this season is that there is no early jump into CONCACAF waters, so we'll have more time to run the rule over players to see how they fit with the team rather than settling on a squad early in order to be ready for competitive matches.

Match Preview - US v. Sweden

Somewhat lost in the drama of the past two weeks (Milan starry-eyed over Becks! Donovan wows in desert- and snow-bound friendlies! SuperDraft! MLS training camps open!) is the fact that we're closing in on the Annual Scandanavian Scrub Challenge, wherein a US B-side, consisting of MLS and out-of-season Euro-players take on the domestic best of some random Scandanavian nation. This year's edition did promise one former glittering star of world football. No, no, not Danny Califf! Henrik Larsson. But alas, his name has mysteriously vanished from the Swedish roster.

Now, rather than boring you with what lineup I think Bob is going to trot out (it's already been done to death elsewhere, and nobody seems to disagree much--such is the drab, gray world of Bob Bradley), I'm going to pick a few things that I'll be on the lookout for come tomorrow evening . . .

(1) Does Bob insist on sticking to "The System"? By his own admission, Bradley is enamored of how futbol is usually played at the highest level on the club and international stages, with four at the back, two holding midfielders in the center of the park, one true forward, and three tweeners operating between the forward and holding mids--the wide men having more defensive responsibility than the central, who often plays a bit closer to the lone forward. Given the number of forwards in camp, I wonder if he's going to play more of a 4-4-2 or stick to his tactical guns? That's of particular interest because . . .

(2) It will be interesting to see what the young midfield guns can produce. Whether it be the insouciant touches and "dagger ball" passing of the Scotland-bound Kljestan; the so-nasty-it's-good wing wizardry of Robbie Rogers; the awkward, stoned, Ichabod Crane-ish grace of Eddie Gaven; the combative, tornadic flailing of the Dynamo dynamo, Rico Clark; or the drive and thunderous finishing of Stuart Holden, there should be plenty of weapons at Bob's disposal. Whether he takes the tactical shackles off the ones that might impress more without them is another question entirely.

(3) Free Charlie Davies! Yes, yes, Chinger will likely start against Mexico and needs some minutes, Cooper brings an interesting (and potentially useful) set of tools for a big man, and I've always had a soft spot for the enigma-wrapped-in-a-mystery that is Chris Rolfe, but Davies has something they all lack--raw speed. I get the sense from the transfer talk that he's just about gotten all he can from the Swedish league and is looking to take the next step. And if there's something that will unsettle our amigos south of the 2-0 border in February, it's not the power and holding ability of Ching, it's the speed and runs of Davies. Can he play as the lone striker in Bob's formation? Wouldn't this be an ideal time to test that? Sadly, I'm afraid he's stuck in the role of late game "change of pace super-sub" and/or desperation second forward when we really need a goal.

(4) Who gets the nod at right back? Yes, I may have gradually shifted to holding/defensive mid as my playing career progressed, but my heart will always be that of a true #2--torturing opposition wingers' ankles and bombing down the right flank. Consensus opinion seems to hold that Wynne is a lock, but I'm not so sure. Yes, after the flashes of brilliance he showed down the stretch for TFC last year, I think Wynne is ready to move beyond the "great athlete" tag and start making a name for himself as a soccer player, and I would absolutely start him. But Bob? Well, Bob seems to have it in his head that John Thorrington will be a good attacking right back. Good? When Wynne has an opportunity to be great and is still well short of the 30-year iceberg that Thorrington is about to smack into?

Decisions, decisions. What are you looking forward to tomorrow? Eager to see former United keeper Perkins get the call in net? Waiting to see what Kljestan pulls out of the bag before he bids adieu to SoCal? Wondering who Bob will play up top? Planning to drink heavily to make the game more "exciting"?

Blogger Interrupted

Well, I did plan to do the United roster updates tonight now that Goff has provided the goods, but work interfered with that plan. Tomorrow morning, I swear! In the meantime . . .

The Camp Curse strikes again!

So Does Kaptain Kissypants!
(Still with the tummy and chest rubbing! Ugh.)

That'll Teach Me!

Geez! That'll teach me to post a roster update just because we got a second-string forward back on loan for another year ;-). BTB has the pre-season roster, and the Goffster chimes in from RFK as well. The later promises that further updates are coming, so I'm going to hold off on doing another "Refining the Roster" post until the other shoe drops. As it stands, the big news is . . .

• Gallardo is still recovering in Argentina? Mega-ugh.
• Kyle Veris, last seen in this country as part of a craptacular Galaxy defense, is on trial after returning from the depths of the Scandanavian Defender Mines. Potential defensive depth, or just a symptom of our desperation in that area? Stokes 2.0!
  
• Lyle Adams, our draftee fullback, is not in camp and reportedly has visions of Euro-plums dancing in his head. Gee, didn't Tommy say that Adams was excited by the opportunity to play for us just after the draft? Andrew Jacobson 2.0! Zaher and Miller cage match for a roster spot if he never shows.
  
• Olsen is moving well? (Oh please, oh please, oh please!) Hope Gallardo is watching how a real professional with an actual pair behaves.
  

So who's missing from the pre-season roster . . ?

• Dyachenko! Phew!
• No Carroll or Koroma = more defensive trialists in the near future?
• No Cordeiro, Thompson, or Kirk? Looks like Barklage's chance to make this squad just jumped about 200%, assuming he's willing to sign for developmental peanuts.
  

So that's 27 guys with trialists and signings (here's hoping!) yet to come, fighting for 24 roster spots. Not the massive competition we (okay, I!) envisioned, but still enough to excise the cruft from the roster. That's assuming that young quality can find cheap housing and a second job to compensate for that developmental salary.

I'll be back later to update the lists when the Goff comes through with the "much more" he promised.

Refining the Roster: Knead the Dough?

Or is that "Need the Doe"? The FO must think so because forward Francis Doe's Neverending Loan To MLS has been rolled over into 2009. I've got to say, if Pontius pans out and if we land Walter Martinez, there's going to be a pretty decent battle for minutes up top (I know, I know, that's a lot of "ifs"). Heck, maybe Emilio will turn up for camp in shape if he realizes he might face pine-time. In any case, let's dutifully update the lists . . .

The Roster-In-Progress

1. (I) Crayton, GK

2. Wells, GK

3. Janicki, D

4. Namoff, D

5. Burch, D/M

6. Guerrero, D/M - he's got his green card, right?

7. McTavish, D/M

8. (I) Fred, M

9. (I) Gallardo, M

10. Simms, M

11. Vide, M

12. (I) Khumalo, M/F - he's been in the US a while, does he have a green card?

13. Pontius M/F - he signed a pre-draft deal, I'm assuming it's not developmental?

14. Quaranta, M/F

15. (I) Emilio, F

16. Moreno, F

17. (I) Doe, F - no way he's on a developmental deal right, even if he is technically on loan?
18.

19.

20.

21. (D,GA,I?) Wallace, D/M - he's GenAd, and thus doesn't take a senior roster spot, but does anybody know if he's got a green card or dual nationality?

22.

23.

24.

. . . leaving three senior roster spots and three developmental spots to fill. Our international count (maximum of eight, last I checked) is at least five but perhaps as high as seven. Now, on to the questionables . . .

1. (I) Mystery Foreign Defender, D - as promised by the FO

2. (I) Gonzalo Martinez, D - currently in limbo, one MLS club expressing interest?

3. Mediate, D/M - will he be able to earn a senior roster spot?

4. Olsen, M - will he be able to beat the injury bug?

5. Dyachenko, M/F - exploring Europe, but . . ?

6. Kirk, M/F - will he sign for less? did he graduate from GA?

7. (I) Walter Martinez, M/F - oft-rumored, still unsigned

And finally, we touch on the draftees and last year's developmental guys, all fighting for precious few spots . . .

1. (I?) Kocic, GK - will he require an international spot? Euro-options?

2. Thorpe, GK

3. (I?) Adams, D - I see he was born in Jamaica, any word on his nationality? Euro-options?

4. Carroll, D

5. (I) Koroma, D

6. Zaher, D

7. Miller, D/M

8. Thompson, M

9. Barklage, M/F

10. Cordeiro, M/F

Got any insight on any of those question marks above? Let me know in the comments.

United Rumor Roundup III: Whither the Mivdun?

Hmmm, things are still disturbingly quiet given that the draft has come and gone. About all we've clarified since last time is that the Walter Martinez acquisition is a work in progress and that we're working several angles on a Mystery Veteran Defender of Unknown Nationality (a Mivdun?). Also, there has been mention of interest in a young right-sided midfielder from a domestic Jamaican team. Anything to add to the mix? How about one interesting rumor and one bit of speculation?


The Rumor

Former US National Team, and current 1860 Munich, center back Gregg Berhalter is apparently weighing his options. The decision? Whether to say on in Germany or return for a last hurrah in MLS. The rumored destinations for the 35 year-old veteran are the Red Bulls, and yes, you guessed it, DC United.

My take? A veteran defender who can bring a bit of poise and organization to the back line and won't take up an international spot? Sounds good. Of course, I don't remember Berhalter ever being the most blessed with speed. Amend that. He's slow. Will veteran savvy and positioning cover that deficit?

An interesting rumor as far as that goes, and I'm sure the FO would be interested, but salary demands might be a sticking point. Then again, clearing the Gonzalos off the roster does create a bit of cap space. Treat this one as suspect until the Goffster lets us know otherwise.


The Speculation

Now, from all the noises the FO are making, it seems that second round draft pick, goalkeeper Milos Kocic, was on their radar for a while. But let's pause for a moment and consider that Kocic may have Euro-options. If this is so, might a developmental salary be just the impetus he needs to jump back across the ocean? Again, assuming that the FO understands this, are they prepared to offer him a senior roster spot? Were they prepared to do that when they made the pick?

If they were, that says to me that either (a) they're banking on Crayton jumping ship when his contract is up in the summer or (b) Wells may be in the shop window. Why?

1. Crayton's $175k is a big cap hit to swallow for questionable returns and a contract that runs out mid-summer. He's not ideal trade bait.
   
2. Wells' salary fits in better under the cap, and he's a domestic player, making him a more likely candidate to trade.
   
3. If we have 20 senior roster spots, we're not going to use 3 of them on keepers (I hope!)

Now, if Kocic is willing to sign a developmental deal, this is all idle speculation. But if he isn't, and if the FO thinks Kocic is a better option than Wells at #2, then I think Wells is on the block. Of course, given last year's performances, his trade value isn't what it once was, but I wonder if a package of Wells (and possibly a draft pick) could net a reasonable quality MLS center back to help us address those depth issues?

Around the World in 80 Seconds

Going through MLS withdrawal in the SuperWake of the SuperDraft? Me too. As nobody seems to want to scratch my itch by having high-profile draftees courting femme fatale, cigarette smoking Euro-tramp-clubs or putting together blockbuster trades that seem to make no sense to any of the sides involved, I figured we'd visit the rest of the world for some high drama. Got your bags packed?


You Want Drama?

Drama? Did you say drama? How about the demise of Ramón Calderón at Real Madrid? Sid Lowe's take on Real's weekend defeat of Osasuna (end of the linked article) also makes for some interesting reading (tough ref!). And what about the debacle at Feyenoord? Wasn't this supposed to be happening to McClaren and FC Twente? Nope--they're a comfortable third. Who'd-a-thunk it?


Normal Nonsense?

Yes, yes--but isn't all of this the normal sort of nonsense that goes on around the world of professional football? Yep. And what does seeing it up close do to a journalist who used to be a fan? Glad you asked. And while we're on the topic of fans: where exactly is "the line that must not be crossed"? ("Even if ... well, he is one?"--classic!) MLS HQ--get your FamilyFriendlyMeter out and start measuring for the placement of that line, because the teething problems we experienced in the last few years are probably just the beginning.


Speaking of "Even if he is one" . . .

Why is John Terry anywhere near the FIFA 2008 Team of the Year? The rest of the list is at least plausible (even if it wouldn't be my World Best XI), but Terry is an overrated hack and fits Glenndenning's epithet ("Even if he is one") to a capital "T". Ugh. Just ugh for the poor saps who voted Terry in. Or was the fix in?


End On a High!

But let's bring it back to US Soccer with a touch of class. Yes, Marcus Tracy ditched MLS for some sexy Danish viking-lass, but read on. The kid seems to have a pretty decent head on his shoulders, and I wish him luck in his Euro-adventures. How long until the "Why won't Bob call him up?" posts start making the rounds? Let the countdown begin!


Ah, welcome home! Now, what did my RSS net pull from the stormy sea of footie news about our lovely domestic scene? Still empty? I suppose there is a more important story going on in this country today. Let the waiting game resume . . .

Buddha Boy?

So Donovan scored again for Bayern in a friendly . . . blah, blah, blah.  Okay, okay, so it was a nicely placed header.  But what's important is what happens afterward.  No, no, not the pissy little attitude our hero flaunts (you're used to that by now, aren't you, dear reader?)--what I'm talking about is the crazy chest/tummy rubbing OCD behavior.  

Still?

God help him if he actually gets to take a PK and breaks out the squatting, kissing voodoo dance.  Imagine the Kicker headlines!  Oh, the humanity!

Monday Back-Pass: Donovan on Skates

So what caught your eye this weekend?


Snow Bird?

Anybody else enjoy watching Donovan skate around on the snow this past weekend? Say Toto, I don't think we're in Los Angeles anymore! Lack of sunshine leads to mental breakdown and weeping return to Arena's arms in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .


Danish Delight Defense?

The dreaded USMNT Camp Curse that has been devouring defenders has lead to a late call-up for Michael Parkhurst. Will Parkhurst be able to defeat the Curse and ensure the Danish Delight Defense of Parkhurst-Califf? That seems a lot more secure to me than the current likelihood of seeing Ihemelu-Califf. In other US camp news, it looks like the Curse is making its way up the pitch, with Rico Clark now feeling its hot, reeking breath upon his neck (or toe, as the case may be.


Late Late Show

ManU and Chelsea both leave it late, extraordinarily late in Chelsea's case, while Arsenal and Villa grab wins as well to keep things tight at the top of the Premier League. Can Liverpool regain their lead today in the Merseyside derby?


Baby Jesus?

And speaking of England, no roundup of the weekend's news would be complete without wondering if Kaka's hug-fest at the end of Milan's match signals the end of his time in Italy? What was the latest ridiculous figure Man City's owners were flashing--157 million? That's insane. Would you rather have one sparkling Brazilian would-be-Manchester-messiah subject to the whims of injury and foul weather blues, or a half-dozen quality (if not world-beating) players to shore up your relegation-battling squad? Just sayin'.


So what were you watching this weekend? Happen to catch any of these?

Bring the Special!

Now, whether or not you're a Special Fan of the Special One (Mourinho to MLS = duck to water; SuperDraft, etc.?), if you had a chance to watch the excellent "I'm On Setanta Sports", then you most likely mourned its shocking and untimely death. Fortunately . . .

Refining the Roster: Set the Table

With five draft picks . . . uh, picked, though not firmly in hand, and players starting to filter in to prepare for pre-season, it's time to figure out what we're working with.  So, how's it work?  Well, I'm going to break things down into three sections.  Then we'll do at least one update per week as we approach First Kick 2009, making course corrections as we go.  Now, about those three sections . . .

The first will be the current 24-man roster of players we're pretty sure will be ready to go on opening day barring trades, injuries, etc.  The second section will feature guys under question--can they return from injury (Olsen), will they take a pay cut (Kirk), rumored acquisitions (Walter Martinez), and the like.  The final section will be the pressure-cooker--the draftees and returning guys that are fighting for the few remaining spots.  

So let's get to it . . .

The Roster-In-Progress

1. (I) Crayton, GK

2. Wells, GK

3. Janicki, D

4. Namoff, D

5. Burch, D/M

6. Guerrero, D/M - he's got his green card, right?

7. McTavish, D/M

8. (I) Fred, M

9. (I) Gallardo, M

10. Simms, M

11. Vide, M

12. (I) Khumalo, M/F - he's been in the US a while, does he have a green card?

13. Pontius M/F - he signed a deal, I'm assuming it's not developmental?

14. Quaranta, M/F

15. (I) Emilio, F

16. Moreno, F

17.

18.

19.

20.

21. (D,GA,I?) Wallace, D/M - he's GenAd, and thus doesn't take a senior roster spot, but does anybody know if he's got a green card or dual nationality?

22.

23.

24.

Alright, so that leaves us with four senior roster spots and three developmental spots to fill.  Our international count (maximum of eight, last I checked) is at least four but perhaps as high as six. Now, on to the questionables . . .

1. (I) Mystery Foreign Defender, D - as promised by the FO

2. (I) Gonzalo Martinez, D - currently in limbo, so who knows?

3. Mediate, D/M - will he be able to earn a senior roster spot?

4. Olsen, M - will he be able to beat the injury bug?

5. Dyachenko, M/F - exploring Europe, but . . ?

6. Kirk, M/F - will he sign for less?  did he graduate from GA?

7. (I) Walter Martinez, M/F - oft-rumored, still unsigned

8 (I) Doe, F - will we get him back on loan?  will we need him?

And finally, we touch on the draftees and last year's developmental guys, all fighting for precious few spots . . .

1. (I?) Kocic, GK - will he require an international spot?  Euro-options?

2. Thorpe, GK

3. (I?) Adams, D - I see he was born in Jamaica, any word on his nationality?  Euro-options?

4. Carroll, D

5. (I) Koroma, D

6. Zaher, D

7. Miller, D/M

8. Thompson, M

9. Barklage, M/F

10. Cordeiro, M/F

Well, that's certainly a healthy amount of competition, assuming everybody reports for camp.  Did I miss anybody?  Let me know.  And if you can answer any of those questions I posed above in relation to specific players, I'd appreciate the insight.

Curse Turns Nightmare!

Sweet Jeebus!  The dreaded Camp Curse has already claimed its fair share of US Men's National Team scalps, but this is getting ridiculous.  Now Sean Franklin is going home and replacement call-up Jason Hernandez is set for an MRI.  They're saying "slight calf strain", but we know how these minor injuries seem to be morphing into "so-and-so has left camp" within a few days.  

So that makes it . . . Goodson injured and out, Gibbs out with "mystery dropout", Marshall injured and out, Franklin injured and out, Hernandez injured but still in camp for now.  Did I miss anybody?  That's a lot of defenders going down.  If I'm Danny Califf, I'm either really nervous right now or cackling with glee that nobody suspects my treachery.

Creepy.

Tickle v. Tackle: The Morning After

Or afternoon as it happens. Whatever. Let's address United's draft class one more time--briefly--before moving on with the more important business of finalizing a roster. I'm going to break this out in the time-honored Tickle v. Tackle format . . .

Tickle

One of the big bugaboos with United last year was an overall lack of depth. That's going to be even more of an issue this year with the reduced roster sizes. So what was good about the draft? We added competition in a variety of areas: Wallace, all along the left flank; Pontius, up top and on the wings; Kocic, keeper; Adams, left and right back; and Barklage, midfield--mostly wide.

Tackle

Of course, the one area that wasn't addressed at all is the area where we happen to need the most help--central defense. And while Wallace and Pontius have already inked deals with the league, the other three aren't guaranteed to show up. Kocic and Adams both potentially have opportunities in Europe.

Tickle

Another issue that the braintrust obviously recognized from last year's team (how could they not?) was a general lack of speed. The late season addition of Khumalo and drafting Adams and Wallace definitely adds a dash of pace.

Tackle

That said, we got a bunch of speed . . . at fullback. Yes, yes, Wallace could also potentially patrol the left wing, but outside of one forward who isn't particularly lethal (Khumalo), we don't have a ton of speed up top, and the additions of Barklage and Pontius don't appreciably improve on that.

Tickle

I mentioned it before with the first "tickle", but I think the competition for spots should really yield some results when it comes to having depth that can actually absorb some minutes. At the moment, we've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 guys (the numbers aren't definite because we've got guys in contract limbo, potential signings, and unknown injuries to resolve) fighting for 24 roster spots.

Tackle

Of course, three of those 24 spots are going to be "developmental" spots (Wallace takes one of the four developmental spots as GenAd), hardly a fitting reward for surviving the battle for a roster spot. I wonder why MLS didn't just do away with the developmental structure when they scrapped the reserve league. Why not let the clubs negotiate whatever deals they want as long as they can get under the cap? Bush League, baby--live the dream! You too can be a professional soccer player, drawing a salary that doesn't even threaten $20k. Ugh.

Alright, let's put this particular puppy to bed for a while. The players start arriving for physicals this weekend, so I'll kick off the official pre-season by compiling a roster chart which we can update as we wend our merry way to First Kick 2009. That should be up sometime this weekend. In the meantime, hope springs eternal, so . . .

Vamos United!

Knee-Jerk Reaction Time

Alright, so the 2009 SuperDraft is SuperDead and buried, so let's take a look at some first impressions of the final three players we grabbed off the board (first round picks were discussed earlier).


Milos Kocic

Despite keeper being one of the positions where we looked to have the most depth already (not fantastic depth, I'll grant you, but certainly more than we have in say . . . central defense!), the FO opted for another with their third pick. Having had a chance to run the big netminder (6'4", 200 lbs) through his paces in December, they claim he's a steal and that the gap between him and the consensus #1 GK in the draft, Frei, is pretty small. The folks who know more about college ball than I do beg to differ, though they do all rate him as one of the better keepers after Frei. If he does have the chops, I wonder how things will shake out in pre-season. Is he good enough to make Wells trade bait? Will he jump ship for Europe like the last keeper we drafted?


Lyle Adams

So we grabbed another defender--fantastic! He's fast--wonderful! Problem. He's another fullback. Cough. Cough. Whither the center backs? Cough! Oh hey, Goffster says his agent claims DC is one of the only MLS sides he would consider signing for, but there are Euro-options. Ugh. I think I've been down this path before.


Brandon Barklage

A wide midfielder/forward that the FO claims has Olsen-esque tendencies. Could this be the missing heart of the Bearded Bombardier that I was crying out for in my WIWFC list? Uh, back to reality, please. Let's just see if he can make the team first. I'm encouraged that what little I can dig up on him suggests a big engine, a good reading of the game, and some crossing ability, all of which would be welcome additions to the roster if he can provide them at this level. Still, a bit of a flyer in a spot where maybe we could have picked up a center back to have a look at. I wonder if the FO is counting on the reduced rosters popping a few journeyman MLS central defenders on the waiver list before all is said and done in the pre-season. Otherwise, one Mystery Foreign Guy and undrafted collegians are hardly the answer.

Now, I'm going to revisit the draftees tomorrow after I've had a chance to sleep on things (and to pore over Pro Player Pipeline, 3rd Degree, et al in a furious effort to educate myself on the new guys ;-). But before I do, I thought that I'd quickly revisit the Wish-Pray-Hope list that I dashed off just before the draft and see how we did against that particular rubric. I said I wanted . . .

1. Defensive depth
2. Speed
3. Non-Euro-bound selections

So, I guess we got defensive depth, but it's all in the wide areas, not the place that I thought we were struggling to begin with. When do the center backs start arriving? We certainly checked and double checked the speed box, which will be an interesting change if we actually manage to get all of these guys into camp. Which brings me to #3. Our first-rounders are already signed with the league, so that's a big first step. Of the other three, it looks like the two second rounders may have Euro-options, though they seem to be leaning towards staying in MLS (Kocic more than Adams).

First impressions grade? B-, maybe pushing a B considering what we got, but probably somewhere in the C's considering what we desperately need. Let's see how I feel tomorrow. How about all of you out there haunting the tubes? What do you think of United's draft? What about the rest of MLS? Were there any big winners and losers?

Round One Reaction

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!]

D-Day Approacheth

Well, we're only about an hour or so away from the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, so here's my Wish . . . Pray . . . Hope list for United's draft.

1. Defensive depth
2. Speed
3. Non-Euro-bound selections

That's it. Take the best players available and try to tick the boxes above if you can. Good luck, Kasper and Co.!

I'll be back after United makes its picks to weigh in and spread a general sense of fear, doom, and pessimism about our horrible draft (as usual ;-).

Breaking Down the GenAds

Earlier today, I took a quick dash through the current United roster, and I mentioned a couple of times how critical those Generation Adidas players are going to be. They'll give you a player that (ostensibly) is ready to pick up some minutes, but won't count against either the cap or the twenty-player senior roster. Plus, they've already signed with the league, which is an added bonus for a United side that's seen more than its fair share of picks jumping across the pond or opting for USL.

Add in that they are generally younger (and thus presumably have more "upside") than the rest of the draft class, and you've got a pretty attractive package. With the 6th and 7th pick in the first round, United will be able to take two if they want. So let's take a look at the 2009 GenAd class with an eye to who United might be most interested in.

Kevin Alston

The quick fullback has local roots, which would be a plus if he were going to be on the developmental roster as he'd be set for housing. As it stands, he's got to be a high priority should he fall to us, not only by virtue of the fact that he's a fast defender with good skills, but also because his ability to get forward with speed adds extra width to the attack. That's a huge plus in my book. And, of course, he's 5'8", which allows him to fit in under United's "Height Cap." ;-)

Danny Cruz

Look. I've got a passing familiarity with some of these guys, but some of them are mysteries. Case in point--Danny Cruz. Some of what I've dug up: US U-20, versatile attacking player, big engine, projected to be a right-sided midfielder in MLS. He's one of the younger ones as well. Could we use guys with a lot of fight in them in attacking areas? Sure. But I'll profess my ignorance here. I just don't know enough about the kid to determine what kind of a fit he would be.

Stefan Frei

I guess we've talked this one to death over the past week or so. Everybody seems pretty convinced that the Frei is a big-time prospect. If he falls to us, the considerations would be: (1) are we ready to shop Wells, (2) is Crayton likely to re-sign in the summer, (3) are we prepared to sacrifice an international slot, (4) do we want so much of our wage bill going to keepers? My position? If he's available, grab him. Then you can either shop Wells or see who's willing to pay through the nose to take Frei off our hands. Win-win in my book.

Omar Gonzalez

Despite being off early in the Combine, Gonzalez' second day seemed to cement his already solid rep. Will he fall as far as #6? Doubtful. If he does, do we take him? Do you even have to ask that question? He would most likely be the best available talent at #6 (unless the other FO's are absolutely brain-dead on draft day) and he fills our biggest need--a stud center back.

Jeremy Hall

The Dane Richards of 2009? Hall can line up on either flank, has great speed, and can cross. Speed on the wings? Crossing? Do we do any of those things? Not well. Despite not having the strongest of Combines, I'd still rank Hall really high on my draft board, even if he weren't GenAd.

Baggio Husidic

Great, just what we need, another attacking midfielder. Hmmm. Big, technical central mid from a small program. Why does that sound familiar? Give me an "R", give me an "O", give me a "D"! What's that spell? . . . NO!

Peri Marosevic

US youth international and a hard working forward. Also one of the younger guys in the class, but perhaps a bit of a project. Seeing as how we've already got a decent stable of forwards, but none of whom are from the Alejandro Moreno school of "terrier" strikers, it's perhaps worth taking a chance if some of the more attractive options are off the board by the time we're up.

Rodney Wallace

A fast mid/defender who would provide solid depth all along the left flank, his stock seems to have taken a bit of a hit post-Combine. Still (hide the cliche-meter!), you can't coach speed, and Wallace has all of the physical tools to succeed in MLS. I'll balance that against the fact that he isn't the most polished of defenders . . . yet, a point that puts him below Alston in my mind. I wonder what his acquisition would mean for our other UMD left-back conversion project?

Steve Zakuani

Unless they trade up, United probably won't have a shot at the fast and talented (and apparently well-compensated, to the tune of $175-200k) striker, which is a shame, because speed on the front line would be pretty useful. Despite not having a strong Combine, I can't see him falling to us at #6. Also, I'm assuming that he would count against the international player limit, which might be a concern for our foreigner-happy FO.

So that's the player-by-player rundown. So how would I stack them on my board?

1. Gonzalez
2. Alston
3. Zakuani
4. Hall
5. Frei
6. Wallace
7. Cruz
8. Marosevic
9. Husidic

Remember, that's from a purely DC United perspective. So I've stuck my neck out. How about you show me yours? And feel free to come at it from any MLS FO's perspective or from a purely neutral point of view, should you desire.

On the Eve of Destruction?

Just for my own edification, let's take a quick gander at how the roster is shaping up. Not much has changed since my WIWFC series of posts, but as it is the eve of draft day, I figured we'd better take a look at where we could use some padding on the roster. Not that I'm advocating drafting for need, you understand, but I'd still like to have an idea of the lay of the land going in . . .

Keepers

In - Crayton, Wells
Maybe - Thorpe

I'm guessing that if Thorpe does return, he'd be on a developmental contract as we're surely not going to use three of our twenty senior roster spots on keepers. Is he still young enough to qualify? Whatever the case, I'd say that if we do draft a keeper, it'll be someone we're fairly comfortable will sign a developmental deal and fight with Thorpe for the third spot. Alternatively, we do go after Frei, his Generation Adidas contract means he doesn't count against the cap or the twenty. Ideally? If we could land Frei and ship Wells somewhere, we've got Frei as a backup (he can't be worse than Wells, right?) and he doesn't count against the twenty.

Interesting.

Defenders

In - Namoff, McTavish, Burch, Janicki
Maybe - Mystery Foreign Guy, Martinez (???), Zaher, Miller, Carroll, Koroma

So we've got a back line of sorts in the guys already signed. Assuming the MFG (Mystery Foreign Guy) turns up and Martinez doesn't, that leaves us with five senior defenders. Again, we could really benefit from grabbing a Generation Adidas player who won't count against the twenty senior roster spots. If we don't, I wonder how many of those developmental guys we can afford to keep around. Much depends, I suppose, on who we draft and if they can beat out the existing guys. At the moment, my money would be on keeping Zaher and Carroll, with one of them possibly getting bumped to the senior roster. That still looks awfully thin though.

Midfielders

In - Gallardo, Simms, Guerrero, Fred, Olsen, Vide, Quaranta
Maybe - Thompson, Cordeiro, Mediate, Kirk

Ostensibly, Cordeiro and Kirk could also be considered candidates for forward depth as well, and Khumalo would be included here as a midfielder, but I'll go with this group. Assuming Olsen can go, I think we're pretty solid here, with the possible exception of a little speed and crossing. If Olsen can't go, then we'll need some 2-way play in the middle. I also wonder at the luxury of having Fred at $200k+ when he's not going to dislodge the DP in the attacking midfield and doesn't seem ideal for the left wing, where we do have Guerrero as well, with young Cordeiro (assuming he makes the squad!) for depth. Trade Bait? Perhaps. Depth from the draft would be nice.

Forwards

In - Moreno, Doe, Emilio, Khumalo.
Maybe - Walter Martinez

Again, that's pretty well set. With five forwards potentially on the books (though I'd class Khumalo as more of a winger, I don't see any striking need (pun intended!) for depth, though it wouldn't hurt to take a flyer on a project guy or a speedster who might pick up a few minutes here and there or could be a revelation.

Once the draft picks have landed, I'll draw up a preliminary roster and try to take a more extensive look at how we'll fill out the senior roster and developmental slots. At the moment, it's a bit of a crapshoot without knowing what sort of Generation Adidas toys we have to play with and who we might be potentially dealing in the draft day madness.

Speaking of which . . . I should be back later this evening to take a look at which members of the GA class are most intriguing to me as possible United pickups--keeping in mind the current state of our roster as outlined above.

What do you think? Does our desperation for defenders make us exploitable on draft day, or do our strengths in other areas give us bargaining power when it comes to trades? Who would you let go, if anybody? Are picks outside of the first one (and perhaps the first half of the second) worth anything any more, given the reduction in rosters?

The Roster Dance

At long last, Namoff is officially back in the fold for the 2009 campaign. And while we're raiding Goff's cupboard, let's take a look at some DCU dirt he dug up from Dave Kasper. The big news?

(1) We're getting close to landing Walter Martinez and bringing Doe back. They'd both be on loan, but that's pretty close to filling out our forward depth chart.

(2) Discussions are ongoing with foreign recruits for the ever-so-thin back line. DUH! The important part (and maybe I'm reading too much into this . . .) is that we plan to "sign one." No more rafts of Sudamericano saviors, I suppose, but Dios mío! we'd better get a competent center back tout de suite.

(3) Joe Vide's roster yo-yo ride (damn, that's a slick line--somebody ought to write a song!) continues and he's now officially back on the senior roster. More Goff dumpster-diving reveals that we've got 17 of our 20 senior roster spots filled. Trades are always possible, but assuming no dealing, that means we've got three spots to fill. If Walter Martinez is one and Mystery Foreign Center Back is two, that leaves one opening. Anybody thinking we might use both of our first rounders on senior-roster exempt Generation Adidas boys? Of course, you've got to consider that Olsen is one of those 17, and his return is still doubtful, though Kasper says he'll be giving it a go in camp.

(4) I also find it interesting that the second Gonzalo (Martinez) still isn't officially gone. Perhaps I'm alone here, and on thin ice at that, but I always liked Martinez, even if he did struggle mightily down the stretch. I thought he showed really well as an attacking fullback, though of course, his salary is an issue. Given his ability to fill multiple spots along the back line, ability to read the game, and physical assets, I wouldn't mind having him back if we could somehow negotiate a lower salary. Of course, doing so means another senior roster spot goes away.

(5) Dyachenko is no more. Damn. Good thing we wasted all those valuable minutes and a first round pick getting him back from TFC, eh?

Alright, that's round one for today. I'm expecting to be back later today with a closer look at Goff's roster status post as well as a look at which Generation Adidas players I'd be most interested in seeing in black and red.

You Want Fries With That?

No, I'm not trotting out the snark regarding MLS player salaries (. . . yet), but there were a few things that caught my eye this morning that I'd thought I'd drop a few words on.


Honduran Stock Exchange

Hmmm. I thought the Walter Martinez talk had fallen off a bit while Osman Chavez was starting to look more legit, but the Goffster says we're still in for Martinez and Chavez is looking increasingly HDC-bound. And still no rumblings of Namoff's re-signing nor any help for the threadbare DC defensive cupboard. Worried yet?


Another One Bites The Dust

Seriously. If you're a defender and the Caller ID says "Bob Bradley", just ignore it and walk away quietly. Now Sean Franklin has been struck down by the Camp Curse while apparently Ugo Ihemelu is just returning from feeling its icy claws. Be afraid, Danny Califf. Be very afraid.


Quiet Before the Storm?

Yes, yes, there was the DeRo deal a while back, and Osorio just tossed Dallas a quality left sided midfielder/defender for the speedy Oduro, presumably so he would have someone else on the staff whose last name started and ended with "o", but things are going to get a lot more interesting as we approach the SuperDay of the SuperDraft. Perhaps this might be a helpful tool for keeping track of the ch-ch-ch-changes?

Monday Back-Pass: Song 2

Considering the warnings the meteorological high priests were spreading, the "big storm" turned out to be a couple inches of snow. Disappointing, like much of this weekend. Why disappointing? Glad you asked . . .


Camp Curse Continues!

Last week, I talked about the disturbing number of players being injured at the US training camp that's trying to prepare for the annual Scandanavian Scrub Cup out in LA. Now it seems that Chad Marshall is heading home as well.

Which begs a couple of questions: (1) will Bob have any central defenders left (Henrik Larsson cackles with Swedish glee!) and (2) if he needs a replacement, will he look any farther afield than he did before calling in Jason Hernandez (WTF, Bob?). Former Fire-Goat-Metrobulls, get ready for the call! Jeff Parke, Jim Curtin, Chris Leitch--get ready to take your bows!

As best as I can tell, considering the scratches and replacements, your starting center back pairing is looking increasingly like Califf-Ihemelu. Let's give it up for progress! Ugh.


A Better #2?

And in other center back news, the first Gonzalo has boarded the slow boat for Sudamerica. Slow? Peralta? Don't see those two words together much, now do you? Pardon my sarcasm, but if you'll recall, Peralta was supposed to bring honor to the much-feted #2 jersey that your humble fullback was prone to wearing in his more active playing days. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a more worthy successor, shall we?


Battle For #2?

In other #2 news, Manchester United met Chelsea in the most highly anticipated match of the weekend, as the two jockeyed for position behind the stumbling leaders of the Premier League, Liverpool. Now, I only saw highlights, but they looked decidedly tilted in Man U's favor, with Chelsea's few chances falling to Drogba, who promptly whiffed or misfired on all of them. That sound about right?

With two games in hand, the Red Devils now find themselves just a point behind Chelsea and five behind Liverpool without really seeming to be breaking a sweat yet. Ugh. This is starting to look creepily familiar.


"Just Shave It Off Already" News

I saw highlights of another, less hotly-anticipated, match as well, but one that involved an American at least. Landon Donovan got a chance to partner both Toni and Klose in Bayern Munich's 3-2 friendly defeat of Al Jazeera, who are presumably not fielding a team of Arabic news correspondents since they managed to net a couple of goals.

The response to Donovan's outing is upbeat, though I saw only an assist and couple of tame shots. Highlights can be cruel that way, can't they? What do you think? Is Donovan ready to break into the Euro-limelight, or was this just a "friendly" moment? Sort of like Mr. Freddy Adu, whose excellent friendly outing against Juventus was rewarded with . . . not even being on the sub's bench this weekend?


So that's about all I've got for now. What else caught your eye this weekend? Wondering about the rumors of how bad Omar Gonzalez looked at the MLS Combine? Waiting for the other Gonzalo to drop? Trying to figure out who Bob's going to call in to the Camp of the Cursed?

Tangentially Related United News

As I prep the homestead for the impending deluge of snow and ice that we're supposedly soon to be buried under, I thought I'd take a quick jaunt through the news, spider-like, drawing the tenuous strands of DC United news together to weave my own twisted (and quite deadly!) web. All set?


Flying Gonzalos Not Yet Free?

I've been pretty much resigned to the fact that the Flying Gonzalos were out of the picture completely, but Ives has us shopping them (without much interest) around MLS. I wonder if some front office might yet be tempted. Seattle? They need defenders. New York? Osorio's shipped out his last crop of Sudamericanos, maybe he wants more? Dallas? It's tough to see us landing anything, though if reports of Dax McCarty being shopped are not exaggerated, I wouldn't mind us trying to make that deal happen. Mike Randolph, potentially in LA's shop window, would be useful depth on the left flank as well as bringing some desperately needed (gasp!) speed.


Danish Anyone?

Apparently, things didn't quite work out for United draft-defector Andrew Jacobson in France. So he's off to Denmark. I guess Norway is out, and Denmark is in as the hot, hot, hot destination for those trying to avoid dying of hunger when their MLS salary can't cover the groceries. Looks like Marcus Tracy is off the market as well, preventing United from wasting a pick on a Euro-bound collegian (again!). Ah well, at least he'll be wearing some nice threads.


Got An Hour Or So To Kill?

Then you might be interested in watching the trainwreck that is Paul Gascoigne's life. Remember when United were linked to Gazza not so many years ago? I suppose that puts the Great Sudamericano Fiasco of 2008 in perspective doesn't it?


Philadelphia Union?

Does that hit a little too close for comfort, United fans? Though I have to say, out of the selections on offer, it's probably the best of a decidedly Euro-snobbish lot. Still . . . the U-Derby (UnDerby?) has potential appeal. Certainly more than that Terence-Trent Derby. Man, those folks in Terence and Trent really hate each other, don't they? That fight over the wishing well really got out of hand . . .


US Camp Damaging the MLS Goods?

Now we're getting really tangential, since, as you know, MLS bylaws prohibit United from having anybody involved in the US National Team picture (I kid, I kid). As it stands, it looks like another MLS injury has cropped up with Geoff Cameron being returned to Houston courtesy of the Bum Hammy Hammer. Bradley's also managed to ding Chad Marshall and Stuart Holden as well, and Dom Kinnear must be wondering if he ought to pull Chinger out of camp as a precaution.

Alright, we now return you to your regularly scheduled program. Good luck to any of you out there that happen to be in the path of the projected storm that'll be paying me a call this weekend. Thoughts on the news or the weather?