Before Extra Time – Page 10 – Soccer ramblings from RVA

Before Extra Time: soccer ramblings from RVA

Kitchen, Korb, and Willis: What’s Next?

The MLS Superdraft went a little differently than people expected. Firstly, Darlington Nagbe didn’t go number 1. Neither did Perry Kitchen; instead, Vancouver went with Omar Salgado, the long-term prospect who supposedly has the highest ceiling out of any of the forwards, but can’t play until September (apparently). Then Portland snapped up Nagbe, who they will pair with new signing Kenny Cooper. And then D.C. United snapped up the best player available: Perry Kitchen. He’s primarily a defensive midfielder, but Kitchen can also play in central defense.

This does leave D.C. United with a bit of a logjam in the central midfield: Boskovic, McCarty, Simms, Kitchen, Shanosky, King, and Morsink all play various kinds of central midfield. I have to feel that at least one of them will be traded; the only one that might get United some value back would be Simms. I was hoping all throughout the first round that a trade would be announced so that United could pick one of Will Bruin or Corey Hertzog.

But the offensive player we were all expecting never happened. United chose Chris Korb, a fullback from Akron, with its second round pick and traded two first-round Supplemental Draft picks to the LA Galaxy for the opportunity to draft Joe Willis, a goalkeeper out of the University of Denver. Ben Olsen does realize his lack of strikers, asking on Twitter (through @dcunited) for “fans to bear with us as we finalize this roster … we have some promising leads right now [at forward].” That’s good, because the current forwards are Joseph Ngwenya, Josh Wolff, and Chris Pontius; all speedier guys who aren’t clinical finishers. ‘Tino can play up top too, but he’s the same type of player as well.

Will D.C. United be going back to its South American pipeline? If that player is from a more physical league, such as Argentina or Uruguay, and is a young player that we have an opportunity to keep long-term, then that could work out. But I don’t think a one year loan or an over 30 player is going to be the right fit for D.C. United. Ben Olsen has shown that he wants to institute a youth movement, so I don’t think he’ll be looking that way. A trade of Clyde Simms could also be in the works, but that obviously would only bring in players from MLS. He would be suited for a contender looking for that final piece or a mid-table team looking to make a jump, getting United a forward in return. This team shows promise, but at least one (and maybe two) more forwards need to be brought in for D.C. to really have any chance this year.

Also! It was exciting to see a player that goes to my alma mater and current place of employment, the College of William and Mary, get drafted with the last pick in the 3rd round. Alan Koger, a forward, got drafted by the New England Revolution. While he has a little bit of an injury problem, he’s a good forward with a nose for the goal. New England, you will be glad you drafted him!

January 13, 2011
D.C. United is Taking a Forward

D.C. United is going to be taking a forward in the upcoming SuperDraft; the only question is which one. The release of Pablo Hernadez was a good move; between Hernadez and Danny Allsopp, United has cleared $467,000 off of its books. Now, they have acquired a couple of forwards through the Re-Entry draft, but neither of them are long term solutions.

I see United taking one of three of the top forwards in the draft: Darlington Nagbe, Omar Salgado, and Will Bruin. I like Chest Rockwell’s theory that D.C. United is angling for the number one pick, but I don’t think there’s any way that they would take Perry Kitchen with that pick. I think that they keep Clyde Simms and let him teach Conor Shanosky, who was signed out of the Academy to play the very position that Kitchen plays. That might mean that Chris Pontius could be out, but that is a problem that has been festering for awhile.

However, I have come around on which of the forwards I think that United should draft. I’ve been arguing that they should take Omar Salgado, as he has the most upside of any of the forwards in this class. But now, I am for Nagbe if United somehow gets the #1 pick or Will Bruin if United stays at the #3 pick. United doesn’t need another Hernandez or Christian Castillo, a prospect with worlds of talent but who isn’t able to put it together. D.C. United needs someone proven to be able to score goals; with Bruin getting comments that he is a physical presence and the best finisher in the draft, I would be happy to just sit back at #3 and take him. But United could also clear up some of its roster congestion, trade up, and take Nagbe. People are saying that he could be better than Teal Bunbury and Steve Zakuani; any team in MLS would benefit from a player like that.

Sometime before the draft I’ll actually do homework on these two (through YouTube), and have some more comments on draft day eve.

January 8, 2011
If you can’t build it, join it

News came out yesterday that the new mayor of Washington, DC, Vincent Gray, has all but promised that no public money will be used to help build DC United a stadium. This all but guarantees that if United is to have a new stadium in the metro area, it will have to be a part of a multi-use development project, much like the failed Poplar Point project. Martin Shatzer, of Black and Red United, is confident that Kevin Payne would never move United; I hope that he’s right. But, in the interim, could DC United do better at another facility in the metro DC area? We all know that they’re burning money at RFK, but is there another already built facility that could serve them?

As far as I can tell, there are only three stadiums in the DC Metro area that have over 20,000 seats. One of them, of course, is RFK. The second is Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland, where they play football and lacrosse. It currently holds 54,000 people. The final stadium that holds over 20,000 people is FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. FedEx Field is the largest NFL stadium in the country, holding over 90,000 people. The only other stadium that I could find that has even 10,000 seats is Howard University’s football stadium, at exactly 10,000 seats.

Would the benefits of moving to Maryland’s Byrd Stadium outweigh the negatives? At best, such a move could give DC United a more permanent temporary home where they could wait for the perfect stadium deal. At worst, however, it could be the equivalent of moving FC Dallas out to Frisco, completely undercut the fanbase, and lose any potential monetary benefit that United would have gained. Obviously, this is idle speculation without a look into DC United’s accounts, but I think that the PR price and the price to the fans of moving outweighs its benefits. I do hope, once they’ve secured a new stadium, United comes out and tells us how much the RFK rent actually was and if DC really was screwing them over.

One last random thought: If the DC City Council isn’t going to help with financing the stadium, I wish they would at least sell RFK and the land cheaply to United so that they could tear it down, play at Maryland for 2 years, and build a new stadium on that spot. But that’s even less likely than United moving to Richmond.

December 30, 2010
Rodrigo Brasesco to DC United?

Tribal Football is rumoring that defender Rodrigo Brasesco from Racing Club de Montevideo is set to move to DC United on a loan. They are basing this rumor off of a report from the Uruguayan site tenfielddigital.com.uy. Racing Club de Montevideo plays in the Uruguayan first division, having been promoted from the second division in 2008. Rodrigo Brasesco is a 24 year old defender, and seems to play in the central defense (from what I can piece together from various box scores).

If this is true, this can explain why United wasn’t looking to pick up Jimmy Conrad or someone else in the Re-Entry Draft. I’m actually hoping that Brasesco can play as a fullback, because I’m not really looking forward to Devon McTavish starting again. Also, if true, I think that this would indicate that United will likely look to an offensive player, such as Omar Salgado, Will Bruin, or someone else who can hopefully develop into the finisher that they so badly need.

December 28, 2010
Allsopp returns to Australia (and runs his mouth)

Former DC United forward and whipping boy Danny Allsopp has returned to his former club, the Melbourne Victory after stints in Qatar and Washington, DC. He said that “when things didn’t quite work out overseas” he was “pretty desperate to come back” to Melbourne, which is where he has had all of his success. He comes back at an opportune time for the Victory, as they’ve lost one of their strikers to injury and are mired in the middle of the table.

Apparently, Allsopp also has some comments about the league that he left. Now, to be fair, I cannot find the actual quote that Allsopp supposedly gave; however, according to The Age, a Melbourne newspaper, “[t]he former Socceroo, surprisingly, says the football played in the US’s peak domestic competition is not as ”modern” as that played in the A-League.” American soccer fans often compare MLS to the A-League for the progress of newly formed soccer leagues. On the other hand, many American fans think that the A-League is behind MLS in terms of development. I think that Allsopp is just venting some frustration about his time in DC, which was a lot different than what he’s used to. He moved to Qatar, which many people think is a paycheck league, and then he moved to the United States. I bet he bought into the stereotype of MLS being a retirement league and when he realized that his best only made him a middling MLS player, he got frustrated. And so back he goes to where succeeded, two years older.

Speaking of Qatar, Allsopp has nice things to say about their abilities as a World Cup host. Speaking pragmatically, he says that “[i]f they want something badly enough, they go and get it. There’s plenty of things they can do.” Billions in oil money will do that, but it will be interesting to see if that money is still there in 2022. Countries are getting big into independence from oil; we went be totally rid of it by 2022, but will this movement cut into their ability to host the World Cup? Only time will tell.

December 28, 2010
Flurry of news roundup
Well, well, well. Twitter has been busy today, with lots of moves (and non-moves) announced.
- Andy Najar signs a multi-year deal: Obviously great news for the club, keeping Najar around for at least a couple of years. However, I have a nagging feeling that once this contract is up, he will move overseas somewhere.
- Pat Onstad joins DC United as goalkeeping coach: Another move that I like. I don’t know it if was Mark Simpson’s fault, but a change was needed at the goalkeeping coach position after Troy Perkins’ miserable year. I can’t think of anyone better to mentor Bill Hamid than one of the best goalies in MLS history. Also, more evidence of Olsen putting his stamp on the team.
- No loan for Donovan this winter: He deserves a break. And after the Algeria goal, I don’t really care what he does (not that he listens to me). He wants to go to USL-Pro, sure; he wants to become the next Global Icon by playing in China, go right ahead; he wants to make more water fountain ads, do it.
December 21, 2010
Trading Perkins and Olsen’s Strategy

On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense for DC United to trade the veteran Troy Perkins to Portland, handing the keys to 19 year old Bill Hamid. Even after the year that Perkins’ had, he’s still a fringe international. But, as anyone who’s been following DC United knows, its all about the youth movement and a clean break from the past. Out are all of the vestiges of trying to hold onto the past; it always struck me as a little desperate that many of the people that Curt Onalfo brought back were DC United alums, such as Carey Talley, Luciano Emilio, and Troy Perkins. He was trying to cling to the past and not having to rebuild.

I bet that Troy Perkins will be able to rebound and show more of his international form, rather than his 2010. But ever since Ben Olsen became coach, he’s provide that, even though he is a link to DC United’s past, he is not beholden to it. If Jaime Moreno couldn’t break the lineup with Olsen as coach, it proves that Ben just wants to win. Now, for better or worse, Ben is creating his own team. After they signed Ethan White, there was no need to sign Jimmy Conrad; with Bill Hamid, there’s no need for Troy Perkins; with a striker with the #3 pick (hopefully), there is no need for Juan Pablo Angel. This isn’t about winning in 2011. Its about building a sustainable future for DC, when for years they’ve been trying to postpone this inevitable rebuilding.

To be fair, I applaud Dave Kasper for allowing Olsen to put his stamp on this team. I think that Kasper has realized that his previous strategy hasn’t been working and has changed from “the DC United way” to a way that can actually work. It also shows that Kasper is willing to give Olsen a couple of years to build a team; no youth movement is going to produce results in year one.

December 17, 2010
Wolff is fine (as long as Salgado is coming)

Well, that was an experience! As we all learned, DC United took Josh Wolff, former US International and member of the Kansas City Wizards, in the first round of the second stage of the re-entry draft. And even though there is a lot of criticism of the move, I think that I’m okey with it. In my last post, I said that DCU should take Juan Pablo Angel both as a one year solution and as a mentor to the younger offensive players. I think that Josh Wolff can fill the mentor role as well and at a much cheaper price. I think that this is what Ben Olsen is thinking as well, as he said that Josh “has been around this League and he knows what it takes to be a professional. I know he will help guide our young guys and show them what is needed to have long and successful careers.”

The key to this pick, however, is what comes after it. DCU needs to add a young, promising striker that Wolff can mentor for him to live up to his purpose. Pontius and Hernandez should benefit from Wolff’s experience, but DCU needs to draft someone like Omar Salgado, who is a pure striker (from everything we’re told). There were no long-term solutions available in the re-entry draft. But if DCU doesn’t use the #3 pick on a striker, then drafting Wolff here is going to look a lot worse.

December 15, 2010
All-Virginia Team

On Jason Davis’ blog, Match Fit USA, there is an experiment to try and create soccer teams of people just born in one of each of the 50 states. As I live in Virginia, and feel more affinity to it right now than Ohio(born and raised) or North Carolina(grad school), I took at stab at creating the Virginia team. It has some decent parts, but it doesn’t hold up; in particular, the lack of forwards would doom this team. So, in addition to MLS/NASL/USL players, I started to look at colleges as well.

GK:
Bill Hamid-DCU
Matt Van Oekel-NSC Minnesota Stars
Alexander Stopa-Louisville

D:
Devon McTavish-DCU
Clarence Goodson-IK Start
Danny Cruz- Houston Dynamo
John Gilkerson-Carolina Railhawks
Josh Rice-UNC
David Walden-UNC

M:
Corey Ashe-Houston Dynamo
Conor Shanosky- DCU
Brian Carroll-Philadelphia Union
Bobby Foglesong-Richmond Kickers
Jordan Cyrus-University of Maryland
John Sterzter-University of Maryland
Nicholas Abrigo-College of William and Mary

F:
Brandon Massie-Charleston Battery
Roger Bothe-Richmond Kickers
Jordan Evans-Richmond Kickers
Trevor McEachron-Richmond Kickers
Alan Koger-College of William and Mary
Brian Ownby-UVA

Head Coach: Wade Barrett-Dynamo assistant
Assistant Coaches: Steve Jolley, and Greg Vanney
Captain: Clarence Goodson

So with that group of players, I come out with a 4-4-2

Hamid
McTavish Goodson Cruz Gilkerson
Ashe Shanosky Carroll Fogelsong
Bothe Evans

December 14, 2010
DCU Signs Ethan White (and other thoughts)
Earlier today, DC United signed Ethan White to a homegrown player contract, taking him out of the pool for the SuperDraft; he was projected by many to be a first round pick and so locking him up now essential will net United two players with first round qualifications. A young true striker (Omar Salgado?) with the number three pick would create a nice young core for United to build on.

Random other thoughts:
- I might take Juan Pablo Angel with the first pick in the re-entry draft both as a proven goal scorer (even though he’s on the backside of his career) and as a mentor for our young attacking players. I think that the #3 pick, Najar, Pontius, ‘Tino, and the other attacking players could learn a lot, even if its just in practice, from JPA. A two year deal for low DP money might pay dividends.
- Conrad would be a good choice but he might hamper the development of Julius James and Dejan Jakovic (although, considering the state of the defense last year, that might be a good thing).
- At least one of ‘Tino, Pontius, Boskovic, McCarty, and Simms would have to sit in any formation that has 4 defenders, unless you want ‘Tino and Pontius to be our two strikers. Is it back to the 3-5-2? You could have James, Jakovic, and Zayner in the back; McCarty and Simms sitting in front of them; Najar, Boskovic, and Pontius/’Tino in the midfield; the other of Pontius/’Tino in the hole and JPA playing up top. That’s not too bad of a lineup.
December 14, 2010