Before Extra Time – Page 5 – Soccer ramblings from RVA

Before Extra Time: soccer ramblings from RVA

United’s trade bait list
The protected lists for tomorrow’s expansion draft have been released, and while United’s list includes some no brainers that will be key contributors next season, it also includes some players that could be trade bait to the right club.
- Protected: Charlie Davies, Dwyane DeRosario, Dejan Jakovic, Perry Kitchen, Chris Korb, Brandon McDonald, Chris Pontius, Clyde Simms, Joe Willis, Josh Wolff, Daniel Woolard
- Homegrown (protected): Bill Hamid, Andy Najar, Conor Shanosky, Ethan White
- Available: Brandon Barklage, Blake Brettschneider, Branko Boskovic, Marc Burch, Steve Cronin, Austin da Luz, Stephen King, Devon McTavish, Kurt Morsink, Joseph Ngwenya, Santino Quaranta, Jed Zayner
The most interesting protected players for DC United have to be Charlie Davies and Clyde Simms, both players who lost their starting spots by the end of the season and are protected likely because of their perceived trade value. The guys on the United Mania podcast posited that United needs four new starting level players: two fullbacks, a creative midfielder, and a target forward. Could United swing a deal with Montreal for one of the unprotected fullbacks for Simms or Davies?

I see a Charlie Davies trade being more likely later on in the offseason, when United has had more time to talk to Charlie and Sochaux about what they want to do. Any time before that and they’re not going to get much value out of his rights. But if Davies does want to stay in MLS, or if Sochaux want him to stay here another season, I could see him being worth a starter to the right team.

Finally, I saw someone out there saying that Santino Quaranta is likely to be taken. I don’t see that happening; at this point, Quaranta is who we thought he is. He is a spot starter and good sub to have off the bench, but not someone you really want starting for your team. The two players I think are most likely to be taken are Blake Brettschneider and Austin da Luz. Out of the two, I would prefer to keep Brettschneider, as he gives United something that they do not currently have, while da Luz gives them something similar as to what Quaranta provides. In the end, I do not see any United player being picked.
November 22, 2011
Baltimore and @KeepDCUnited

Something has been rotten in the state of DC United for years now, and the stench is only getting more and more pungent. However, now MLS has sent out a survey to residents of Baltimore, asking them about their potential support of an MLS club. Everyone knows that MLS is talking about DC United potentially moving there, and with United in DC, the chances of Baltimore getting their own MLS club are slim. This is going to be the decisive year for DC United. If no progress is made in or around the District, I would bet that United will announce a move to Baltimore before the beginning of the 2013 season.

The hypocrisy of the DC government also makes me mad. Apparently, there is no money for the only team that was won championships for Washington in the past 20 years and for a sport that most would agree is on the rise in the United States. However, they are investigating spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build the Redskins a practice facility in the District, something that wouldn’t bring any direct revenue. I guess they think that if they can build the Redskins a practice facility next to RFK, it will be easier to tear down RFK and build a new Redskins stadium there in the future.

Despite all of this, I am ever the optimist. I am in life, and I am in sports as well. I know that, despite his other failings, Kevin Payne is doing his best to try and keep United in DC. I would hope that the potential investors who want to see a pathway to a stadium before they commit would actually use their influence to help that process along; any investor who can provide that help would obviously be welcomed into ownership. And I still believe, and will until the moving trucks are driving away, that United will find some way to stay in the DC area. If they do move to Baltimore? I’ll probably still root for them, since there’s no one else nearby. But it won’t be the same, and would be a tragedy for the most successful club in MLS history to move.

If any of you haven’t yet (and I can’t imagine that you haven’t), please go to Keep DC United and, at the very least, sign the petition. If you live in the District, call Mayor Gray, call your council member, and do what you can to try and make them realize that people love DCU and want them to stay. I thought about saying this will be my last post about stadia/moving until something solid happens, but I know that’s not true. I’ll most likely post every tiny rumor and clutch at every straw that may indicate that United is staying. Dum spiro, spero.

November 4, 2011
Update to my #DCU protection list
After seeing Goff’s interview with Kevin Payne, I have one update to my previous post. The quote from KP is: “We don’t know Jed Zayner’s physical condition is. We don’t know if he is going to be able to play again. His knee is a real issue.” With that being said, there is no need to protect Zayner; the Impact are not going to take a risk on a player with that serious an injury. I do hope that Zayner is able to come back, as I think he can start for United if he is healthy.

However, that leaves one of the five from my “Not protected, but would be nice if they stayed” group to move up onto the protected list, and I’m torn between Clyde Simms and Josh Wolff. I think I’m going to chose Clyde Simms, as he has been with United forever, been a solid player all those years, and United may be able to get something for him if they want to move him. Even if they can’t move him, I’d like to see him back and help the younger players develop into true professionals, like Simms is.

To recap, my protection list for the Expansion Draft is:
1. Dwayne DeRosario
2. Chris Pontius
3. Perry Kitchen
4. Brandon McDonald
5. Dejan Jakovic
6. Santino Quaranta
7. Branko Boskovic
8. Clyde Simms
9. Chris Korb
10. Blake Brettschneider
11. Joe Willis
October 27, 2011
#DCU Protection List
Now that the season is officially over, it is time to look ahead to the next one. DC United has a solid, young core to build upon, and I am feeling confident for next year. The first stage in the offseason is the expansion draft, where the Montreal Impact will select 10 players from the other 18 clubs to help fill out their MLS roster.

A quick rundown on the basic rules: homegrown and Generation Adidas players do not have to be protected, there is a sliding scale of how many international players must be protected per team (United only has to protect 1), and if your team has one player picked, they cannot have another taken. For the complete, in depth rules of the expansion draft, see the MLS website. All of that being said, here are the different categories I came up with for United’s current roster, with their 2011 guarenteed compensation (which includes bonuses) in parentheses.

Homegrown/GA players who do not need to be protected:
- Bill Hamid ($69,750)
- Andy Najar ($155,800)
- Ethan White ($71,000)
- Conor Shanosky ($69,218.83)
Protection List
1. Dwayne DeRosario ($493,750): Pay the man.
2. Chris Pontius ($136,250): Pontius was electric the whole season, and the game where he got injured was the high point for him. Unfortunately, it was the high point for United as well, with the offense proving lackluster outside of some amazing DeRo performances. The only question about Pontius is whether he will be on the wing or whether he will play as a second striker.
3. Perry Kitchen ($148,200): Steve Goff is reporting that Kitchen is likely to graduate from Generation Adidas based on his playing time this year, meaning he would have to be protected. He will be protected, and will be the first choice holding midfielder going into 2012.
4. Brandon McDonald ($45,000): Brandon McDonald brought some much needed bite to United’s back line; unfortunately, he had some glaring mistakes down the stretch. I think pairing him with Dejan Jakovic, instead of Ethan White, is the best move.
5. Dejan Jakovic ($201,643): His partnership with McDonald was going very well, until he got injured playing for Canada again. I’m only half joking when I say I hope Canada gets knocked out of World Cup Qualifying as soon as possible.
6. Santino Quaranta ($117,500): The Santino of the last few weeks of the season looked more like the Santino of old. At this point, I think he’s mostly a super sub and a spot starter (even though he’s still only 27), but I like having him on the bench as a game changer.
7. Branko Boskovic ($525,366.67): It will be interesting to see what United will do with Boskovic. I could see anything from him getting cut in the offseason to him starting at left wing next season. We’ve never really seen him play, as injury has really derailed him so far, and I still want to give him a chance.
8. Jed Zayner ($70,375): Zayner was the defender of the year in 2010, which isn’t saying much. However, people forget that he had a wonderful through ball assist to Josh Wolff in the first game of the season, and has been out almost every game since. If the club thinks he can come back healthy next year, I would love to see him starting.
9. Chris Korb ($42,000): Chris Korb improved late in the season. In the beginning, you could tell that he was overmatched and not ready to start. When he came on at the end of the season, he was mostly solid, with a few (fairly large) lapses. I think he can get better and turn into a regular starter; if not, he’s definitely a serviceable backup, he’s young, and he’s cheap.
10. Blake Brettschneider ($42,000): Brettschneider is not an out and out goalscorer; however, he combines well with DeRo, is good at holding the ball up, has tons of energy, and can make some decent passes as well.
11. Joe Willis ($42,000): Protect him because he is a good project for the future, especially for when/if Hamid leaves for larger pastures.
Not protected, but would be nice if they stayed
Clyde Simms ($179,250): Clyde Simms has been a model United player; however, it looks like he has lost his starting spot to Perry Kitchen, and so will probably be left unprotected. I would like to see him stay on the team though, as he’s a great guy and has tons of experience.

Daniel Woolard ($50,000): Woolard plays solid defense on the left side and offers little going forward. I would like to see United try and upgrade both fullback spots, but Woolard is a solid backup to have.

Stephen King ($46,500): I have a soft spot in my heart for Stephen King. No, he’s not starter material, but he’s also a good backup at a good price.

Josh Wolff ($160,000): Wolffy had a frustrating year; after an exciting first game, the promise of him and Davies playing off each other up top never really materialized. I wouldn’t mind having him around again next season, as I think he’d be good off the bench, but I don’t want to see him starting.

Austin da Luz ($82,375)

Don’t care either way

Steve Cronin ($72,000)

Devon McTavish ($50,000): I feel for McTavish and really hope that he’ll be able to continue his soccer career. However, I think Korb and Woolard provide what McTavish does.

Kurt Morsink ($63,500)

Brandon Barklage ($43,566.67): I originally had Barklage in the “Hope he stays” category, but I moved him down here. His injury history is a big concern. His plus is that he can play on the wing or at fullback, but I don’t think he’s good enough to even serve as anything more than an emergency backup at either position.

Go away forever

Marc Burch ($97,500): Burch has got a big left foot, but can’t defend at all. Even when Olsen needed more offense down the stretch, he couldn’t stand more than a few more games of Burch.

Joseph Ngweyna ($156,000): I would have cut him before Wednesday’s game even ended.

Charlie Davies ($244,870): Books could (and have) be written about Charlie Davies’ time with DC United. All I know is that, unless there is a massive reduction in his salary, it is time for him to go.

That’s my list. Who are the 11 that you would protect?
October 24, 2011
United vs. Sounders

Sorry for the absence, folks. Got married, honeymoon, students coming back to campus at work. But we press onwards, just like United!

In United’s dismantling of Chivas, they looked like they had finally put together their offense, looking more dangerous than they had since the beginning of the season. And it was nice to see Charlie Davies scoring goals from the run of play again. But now they have to deal with the injury to their most dangerous player from last week, Chris Pontius. If Josh Wolff is healthy, I expect Santino Quaranta to slot in on the left wing. ‘Tino has had moments so far this season, so I am hoping that he can step up to his added responsibility.

Hamid
Kitchen McDonald White Woolard
Simms
Najar DeRosario Quaranta
Wolff Davies

If Wolffy isn’t ready to go, then I expect Quaranta to move up top and Austin Da Luz to step into the midfield. Can United pull this off? Well, as many people have said, they have never lost in Seattle. But they have also never played a Seattle team this good. Getting a point would be a result I am happy with, and 3 would be just gravy. I’m going to predict a 2-2 draw. Vamos United!

September 17, 2011
Comcast building a soccer pyramid?

MLS has announced a deal today that NBC would take all of the games that FSC currently shows and broadcast four of them on actual NBC and another 38 on what is currently Versus (soon to be NBC Sports Network). NBC, in one of its forms, will also broadcast four US Men’s National Team matches next year. This deal does not affect other deals with ESPN, Univision, or various local Comcast SportsNets. With this move, FSC gets to continue to live its life on the margins, rebroadcasting matches from overseas. NBC continues to grow its alternative sports lineup, while taking a flyer on a sport that many see to be up and coming.

Is there any downside of this for MLS and MLS fans? Not that I can think of. MLS games will be shown on English-language network TV for the first time since 2002; Versus reaches double the amount of homes that FSC does; and Versus and NBC are already available in HD basically everywhere, unlike FSC, where I still don’t have it in HD. As I’ve said before, it looks like 22 blurs running around a field. Yes, finding announcers will be an issue, but I’m sure that NBC can lure away anyone it wants from FSC, if they want any of them. I also expect that there will be some big names (former national teamers) involved in the pre/post game shows, regardless of their prior broadcasting experience.

At $10 million per year, this deal is very cheap for NBC. If it completely fails, they’re not out much money and can move on. But there are parallels to the situation in which MLS currently finds itself and the situation that the NHL found itself in 2004. NBC paid no upfront fees for their deal to broadcast the NHL in 2004, taking only a cut of the advertising money and covering their expenses. The most recent deal between NBC and the NHL, signed in April, is worth over $2 billion over the life of the 10 year deal, including $200 million up front.

Now, obviously, there are differences between MLS and the NHL, even besides that fact that the NHL has existed for almost 100 years. Most NHL fans follow one league and the Olympics when they come around. Most MLS fans pay at least some attention to other leagues, even if only to keep up with some of their favorite ex-MLS players. MLS also has to deal with the issue that there is a large population of soccer fans in the United States that do not watch MLS at all; they watch the Mexican league, the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, or any of a myriad of other leagues. But hey, who’s to say that they couldn’t be turned into casual fans, especially when its twice as easy to find a match?

One final thought: the majority of MLS games are now going to be shown on Comcast owned outlets. They have built their own pyramid of soccer broadcasting: Comcast SportsNets, Versus, and NBC. With some streamlined operation, it may allow for some interesting opportunities. Flex scheduling, for one: Comcast could easily bump a game between two bottom-feeders from Versus and replace it with a game from one of their SportsNets. Just something to think about, but I bet Comcast was thinking of it, and more, when they made this deal.

August 10, 2011
DC United strikes back
What’s that good feeling floating around? A weekend of beating the Red Bulls and the USWNT Algeria’ing Brazil? Sounds like a great soccer weekend to me.

The Good
- DeRo: While he disappeared for some parts of the match, he reappeared right when he was needed and delivered exactly what he was brought in for: a brilliant run and goal. The fact that Dax McCarty got stripped twice and put in some poor free kicks only makes the trade sweeter.
- Defense: The defense played well and, even when they made errors, they were able to recover. The thing that stands out the most from that match is Brandon McDonald’s passing out of the back. He may not be Tim Ream level, but he is a step above anyone else we have on the roster. His one error almost allowed Thierry Henry a goal, but Ethan White and Bill Hamid were able to clean it up. Seeing the defense buckle down, especially late, was also heartening.
- Captain Josh Wolff: When he was brought in, we all knew that Josh Wolff was not an out and out goal scorer. But the people around him have brought out his most valuable skill: passing in and around the box. Wolff currently leads the team in assists, and his one touch pass back to DeRo to spring him for the goal was beautiful.
The Bad
- Wingers: Well, only by their high standards. If you replaced the names on the backs of their jerseys, Chris Pontius and Andy Najar would have been judged to have had fine, if unspectacular games. Their defense was solid, but their offense left something to be desired. Pontius especially had bad first touches in this match and seemed to prefer to wait for reinforcements rather than run at the Red Bulls’ defense. They will return to form, hopefully this weekend.
- Knockout punches: Related to the performance of the wingers was the lack of a knockout punch. United went up in the 62nd minute, but was unable to get the second goal and really clinch the game. One goal is often not enough, so hopefully the offense will start really clicking and producing more two and three goal games than zero or one goal games.
The Ugly
- Concussions: Please don’t let Blake Brettschneider have a serious concussion. United has been badly hit by concussions over the years, and this year is no exception. Get well soon, BlakeBrett, and everyone else with concussions as well.
July 11, 2011
SEQ: Players’ salaries
For our second installment of Search Engine Questions, I decided to tackle money. One search term that often brings people to my blog is the amount of money that certain players are being payed. The full list of player salaries, including an explanation of the difference between base salary and guaranteed compensation, can be found on the MLS Players Union website.

But, moving on from that explanation, for which DC United players’ salaries are people searching?
- Perry Kitchen: Kitchen has a base salary of $62,750, but guaranteed compensation of $148,200, meaning that he has some hefty bonuses in his contract. Kitchen is a Generation adidas player, meaning that his contract does not count against United’s budget. Generation adidas contracts also collect money for the selected players to go back to school later, should they choose.
- Charlie Davies: Of course, the big question of the offseason was how much money did it take to get Charlie Davies to DC. Davies has a base salary of $184,620 and a guaranteed compensation of $244,870. Solid money, but they did not break the bank for him.
- Devon McTavish: McTavish makes $50,000, with apparently no bonuses thrown in there. I assume that people were searching for his salary to see if cutting him would make any sense due to his long term concussion problem? Firstly, that is not a classy move and, secondly, United would not be saving much if they were to be so heartless.
- Blake Brettschneider: Blake Brettchneider has been heralded as the steal of the Supplemental Draft, but does his salary much that status? Yes, it does: Brettschneider is being paid $42,000 right now. Last year, Pablo Hernandez made $156,000 and did not give anywhere near the performance that Brettschneider has so far. I hope that United can sign him to a long term deal.
It is not even always the salaries of current DC United players that bring people here. Two people searched for:
- Julius James: James is making a base salary of $62,794, with guaranteed compensation of $72,169. He is not making that much money and would have been a nice backup centerback to have. However, he might have prevented the emergence of Ethan White, and so it is a bit of a mixed bag.
Have any other salary questions? Hit the link at the top to see the entire list, as of 1 May 2011.
July 6, 2011
An (almost) midseason review

DC United currently sits one game away from the halfway mark of the season, in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, but only 5 points out of a playoff spot. This seems like as good a time as any to do a midseason review.

The Good

Rebuilding: Ben Olsen has done a good job, so far, of balancing rebuilding with a desire to win. The homegrown/drafted products who have played an important role so far this year include Chris Pontius, Andy Najar, Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen, Ethan White, and Blake Brettschneider. For all the crap that United fans give the front office, let’s give them some credit for drafting well and having a good haul from the Academy. If they Academy continues producing prospects like these, United will be back atop the league soon. And as I have said before, I am fine with the decision to trade Dax McCarty for Dwayne DeRosario. I like McCarty, and I hope he succeeds with the NYRB and the USMNT, but he did not fit into United’s system and his position has other young talent coming up. United still might not make the playoffs this year, but they are placing themselves in a good position to succeed long term.

The offense: As things stood before the Philadelphia game on Saturday, United had already tied their pitiful goal scoring output from last year; now, they have surpassed it with over half of the season remaining. The revival of Chris Pontius, the recent return to form of Andy Najar, the additions of three new forwards who have all scored, and the trade for Dwayne DeRosario have all ignited United’s attack. Now, if only the defense could follow suit and regain its form…

The Bad

Finishing games: While the two teams are different in almost every other respect, one specter of 2010 remains over DC United: the inability to finish off opponents. The Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo games could have been 6 points instead of 2, which would put United tied for third instead of 6th. The only cure for this, though, is time. United’s extremely young backline will grow together and they will get better. We have already seen flashes of that ability from Hamid, Kitchen, and White. But for United to be able to make a serious run at the playoffs, these three especially will have to step up.

Injuries in general: Marc Burch, Charlie Davies, Josh Wolff, Steve Cronin, Bill Hamid, Dejan Jakovic, Kurt Morsink, Joseph Ngwenya, and Jed Zayner. In addition to the long term injuries mentioned above, all of these players have missed time due to injuries. I don’t know what it is, but something needs to change in the medical department. The often used example is the Phoenix Suns, who have a medical department that is able to prevent injuries and rejuvenate otherwise broken players. This is the second year in a row that a rash of injuries have infected this team. It cannot be a coincidence, and something needs to change.

Long term injuries: Santino Quaranta, Devon McTavish, and Branko Boskovic. Boskovic I am not so much worried about (and have a post coming about him). But the injuries to both Santino Quaranta and Devon McTavish have entered the scary territory. The Josh Gros-Bryan Namoff territory. Quaranta has been out for over a month, with no signs of improvement that we can see, and McTavish has been out for almost the whole year. I hope that they are well enough to return to soccer, and soon, but more than that I hope that they are able to at least get past their post-concussion symptoms. With the number of concussions that have ended careers in MLS, it makes me wonder how many players in the NFL are playing through much worse symptoms, to their own detriment. I do credit MLS teams for being much more cautious with their players when it comes to head injuries; even if it leads to the end of their playing careers, hopefully the players will still have their minds.

Conclusion

DC United, despite an up and down season so far, is in a decent position to make the playoffs, and this is obviously their goal. And while many fans will be disappointed if they do not make it, and I will as well, this team is still rebuilding. But what they now have is a direction, something they haven’t had in years. Even if they don’t make the playoffs this year, I am confident in their direction and confident that they will be force with which to reckon come 2012.

July 5, 2011
SEQ: Can Ethan White Play Right Back?

Sometimes, I am amazed at what search results bring people to my humble site. And since people are wondering, I will try to respond to their search engine questions in a (possibly) recurring segment. The first is related to United’s recent roster turmoil: Can Ethan White play right back?

The apparent answer is no, not really. At the 2011 MLS Combine, White did play some right back. However, he did not seem to perform well, according to Joe Mauceri. Here is a quote from Joe’s blog:

Ethan White – started as right back, but wasn’t successful, allowing too much space to the wide attacker. It only got worse with a hand ball that could have been the second PK called against him for the second day in a row. White lost Rowe which led to a goal. White needs to think quicker (further ahead) to prevent problems. White is better in the middle – and I suggest that he won’t see the right back position very soon in an MLS game.

I am sorry, anonymous searcher. It does not look like Ethan White will be starting on the right anytime soon, which means that nor will Perry Kitchen be starting for Clyde Simms.

UPDATE 7/4: Joe Mauceri writes in to say that this is actually from a U-20 camp that occurred around the MLS camp.

July 1, 2011