One by one: Hello Martinez, Goodbye Nolly

HELLO:...And the parade continues. United has now added Gonzalo Martinez from Millonarios, and Dave Kasper provides us the resume:

Martìnez began his professional career in the Colombian First Division with Deportes Tolima in 1996 before moving to Italian Serie A side Udinese in 2001. Martinez made 24 appearances for Udinese from 2001-03 before joining Napoli on loan, where he spent part of the 2003 and 2004 campaigns. In the 2003-04 season, he moved to Reggina, where he made 14 appearances. The 5'10", 165-pound defender returned to his native Colombia and rejoined Deportes Tolima for the 2005 season, notching three goals in 21 appearances. Martìnez then moved to Olimpia, and later, Libertad, in 2005-2006 in Paraguay, where he started in a combined 27 games and helped Libertad capture the Paraguayan First Division championship. In 2007, Martìnez returned to Colombia and appeared in 36 games for Millonarios.

That's some pretty good teams, even if it was the Napoli Serie B years (I have a soft spot for Napoli that has something to do with Bruce Campbell starring in Army of Darkness (Evil Dead III). Just go with it.) And if you're going to be a defender learning to really craft your trade, I think Italian football is a great place to do it. The one question I have is with his pace as of today. I can't say that I've seen a lot of his recent work that really lets me know how fast he is, the only thing I can see is an age of 32, which is when people are slowing down. But I have no doubt the man understands his craft better than most in MLS, and for that alone I'm happy to have him on the team. If he's as fast as Dave Kasper says, if he has "tremendous pace," then that's a huge bonus for a number of reasons. Not only would it be speed in the middle of our defense (where, for so long, we have been very slow) it also sounds like Soehn could use Martinez on the outside back positions as well, providing at least another option if not actual depth.

What I like about the way this is unfolding is that it is somewhat clear that United have their ducks in a row - there was a plan, and it is being executed. Good. I may not know all the details behind the plan, but an examination of recent events makes it clear that after some frustration, the Front Office is now getting the players they identified.

GOODBYE: Jay Nolly, who was not getting a shot at the first string keeper position after the arrival of Mr. Wells, has signed with USL's Vancouver Whitecaps. Good for him. While Nolly may only be remembered for the 1-0 loss against the City Islanders in US Open Cup play, and the loss against Real Salt Lake where he made Robbie Findlay a star, he was a decent chap, having given us an interview when he first arrived in DC. I wish him well in Canada, and knowing the tendency of USL keepers to suddenly pop up again in MLS (Preston Burpo?) it would not surprise me if he got another shot at MLS player somewhere.

MINOR CORRECTION: I wrote yesterday that Jaime Moreno has not yet signed with D.C. United. BDR and Oscar chimed in to say that Goff has reported the Moreno deal is done for two years, overall worth more money but less money per year, and it's guaranteed. That's a good deal, and one I'm happy with. I was (and this falls under the category of perhaps "overly indulged fan") not pleased with Moreno at nearly 300K a year, but the idea of Moreno at half of that works just fine. Keep him in black. That being said, I want to see an official notice at D.C. United before I say it is for real. You'll notice that we don't update the Hello/Goodbye column for the most part until we see a press release on letterhead. Just saying, we all know how the transfer market works.

Jay Nolly: The DCenters Interview

The DCenters got a few minutes with new D.C. United keeper Jay Nolly over the phone while he's training in Florida. Questions from Kinney, Oscar, and myself in plain text, and Jay's answers are in bold. We were curious about how he felt suddenly appearing against Olimpia, what the transition from Salt Lake to DC was like, and what he hope to accomplish this season.

How was it coming into the Olimpia match on such short notice? What were you telling yourself when running out to the goal?

It was definitely something you didn’t expect happen. But you have to be as prepared as you can. I was quite excited when running out, but felt I was ready to go. Everything came together, though it started out rough in the first 5-10 minutes. But I hope to build from there.

Are you prepared to play Chivas? Do you expect to start?

I’m prepared, but I'm not expecting to start. You never know how things are going to go. I just try to be prepared.

How did you find out you were traded to DC United?

Honestly? I had called home to see how my mom was doing, and my mom told me the day after it happened. Then I checked my email, and I had gotten an email from Mark Simpson. It had all happened when I was out of town. That's pretty much how I found out about it.

How is it, as a professional, to be traded across the country. How do you make that transition?

It’s tough. When you move from Salt Lake to DC, everything is… it's a bigger city, more expensive, the roads are more complicated. Also, coming in while you’re in preseason, you know you’re in DC for two weeks, then at camp for two weeks, than back… it’s tough when you have a girlfriend, family, to try and adjust to it all.

When coming from RSL to DC, you took a trip through Europe, most notable with Celtic. How was that experience, and did you learn anything from it?

Celtic was an opportunity to train with the team for a few weeks. I did real well there, before Christmas. That’s when I found about the trade. I trained with the first team, saw a few [Celtic Midfielder Shansuke] Nakamura free kicks, and he didn’t beat me. It’s fun to see the intensity level, and to see how the organization works. So when January came around, they [Nolly's agent] said let’s take you around to a few places. It didn’t work out, but Simpson stayed in contact with me.

What is it like practicing with a team against which you set a career high 11 saves last season?

Uhhhh... I try and hope they don’t remember that. It’s tough coming to a team who I would say is the best team in the league. The professionalism of the players and the organization. That’s something that happens wherever you go. It takes time to get into the mold.

What are the differences between the RSL/DC organizations?

I would just say that DC, since they’ve been established, in their 12^th year, they know what they’re doing. Everything is set up right, so there are no questions. The professionalism of coaches, players, people behind scenes, they've all got their stuff together.

What does Coach Simpson emphasize with you?

Right now we’ve been just been working hard. Since its pre-season, they just break down the body and get you as fit as you can. There's a lot of handling, a lot of stuff with bungees, all trying to get you as fit as you can.

Do you hang out with anyone on the team?

Bobby Boswell’s my roommate. We get to hang out a lot. I talk to Moose and Rod a bit. Once the season starts, it’ll be easier to get into things.

What are your goals for this year?

Push Troy as hard as I can so Troy can get better. I think that’s how a first team goalie gets better -- by having a second string push him as hard as he can. And that’s how I can get better.

Do you own a dog? Do you take this dog for walks? In so doing, do you ever have problems with your footing? Just saying…

I do like dogs, and I would take my dog out. I would just take a ball and let him run for it. No need to mess around with the pothole parks.

Sounds like you've thought that out. Do you actually own a dog?

No.

Do you play FIFA or Winning 11?

I have played FIFA, but I don’t play a lot. I don’t own a video game system. You know, when you’re living with your girlfriend, you should focus on her…

Oh, I dunno. My wife lets me play --

-- Well, maybe if it’s a wife situation....

Do you own a watergun?

I used to own a lot of waterguns. Great, cheap entertainment.

Thanks Jay. Anything else you want to say?

Just that I'm more than excited to be here. This is the best organization in the league.

Thanks to Jay for taking time out of his day to talk to us, and the DC United Communication team for helping hook us up. Also, big ups to Mark Simpson for always keeping in touch with Jay during his period abroad.

UPDATE: The RSLFM report is linking to this story with the title "Nolly's Backhanded RSL Insult?..." Just in the interest of full disclosure, we edit these interviews a bit, taking out extraneous text (a lot of "Errs" and "ya knows" and stuff), and not printing everything exactly word for word. We don't change anyone's words, or make edits that change the meaning, but sometimes we take stuff out. In this case, the full exchange between us and Jay was as follows:

ME: What are the differences between the Real Salt Lake and DC United organizations?
NOLLY: Well, uhhhh... I don't wanna, you know, tread on any footste---
ME: Oh, I'm not asking you to burn any bridges.
NOLLY: I would just say that...well... DC, since they've been established, in their 12th year, they know what they're doing. Everything is set up right, so there are no questions. The professionalism of coaches, players, and the people behind scenes... they got their stuff together.
ME: Cool. Moving onward... uh... lessee... Has Coach Simpson been emphasizing anything with you in training?

Just to be clear, Jay wasn't trying to say something bad about RSL, just something nice about DC. We all cool now?

Pre-Holiday Rush

Things to think about before Christmas Day:

THE BIGGEST SOCCER SPECIFIC STADIUM IN THE COUNTRY: At least, that's what you might call RFK after the Nats leave it for their own place. With MLS Cup returning to the Stadium/Armory station, I'm going to make sure I get my tickets. The Post and Times have stories. A few practical implications? Expect a somewhat prolonged (3-4 weeks) road trip at the end of the season once the Nats' season ends, allowing time to resod the field and remove the diamond. Naturally, that could have an interesting effect on the end of the season.

IS NOWAK BACK?: From the Post article above: "'Peter knows that we want him back,' Payne said. "We've had some conversations, we'll probably have another one this week, and hopefully we'll come to a resolution quickly."

WHO'S THE NEW STRIKER? From the Times: "Payne said D.C. United could announce a major player acquisition as early as next week. When asked if the new player was from Argentina, Payne said 'You can assume they are not coming from Europe.'"

DISCOVERY UNITED? One last tidbit from the Post: "Garber said the sale of United's operating rights by Anschutz Entertainment Group 'is nearly complete. [The potential buyers are] a very solid group of committed investors who believe in this sport.'" If the deal happens, here are a few things to consider other than the final price and getting Kevin Payne retained: Does the deal include language on Poplar Point? Does the deal include advertising rights for DC United's kits? When will the deal be effective? What are the new owner's stated intentions regarding Designated Player acquisitions?

YOU'RE SUCH A NOLLY BHOY: DC's one offseason acquisition is in Scotland on trial with Celtic. While the article doesn't mention timeframes, you can go ahead and assume it ends the week before Christmas. Key quote:

Nolly, who played for Real Salt Lake before being traded to DC United as part of the deal for Freddy Adu - hopes he can persuade Celtic to offer him a contract.

Nolly said: "I've been here for a few days now. DC United own my rights if I return to the US, but I'm actually a free agent.

"They've traded Freddy Adu to Salt Lake for me. But the option is not signed yet. So there is a contractual window here for me to try to make it in Europe."

Interesting. We wish Nolly the best, but he seems like a good fit as a #2 at United, so part of me hopes it doesn't pan out for him.

Who says the off-season is slow?

Adu/Rimando to RSL: Did DCU Get Enough?

Barring major developments, it seems like today will be a day devoted to The Trade. Kinney was right when he said it would take some time for us to get our heads around this one. There are so many angles to look at, let's start with the most pressing one: Was this a good deal for DC United?

We are giving up a quality keeper, one that isn't going to start with a team that has another quality option, but a good starter in his own right. We are giving up a startling level midfield player who has marketing appeal. And what do we get in return?

Well, on-hand, we get a backup keeper for Troy Perkins. Okay, a part that was necessary in this deal, since we didn't have any good options for a true #2 keeper. We get a major playor allocation. We get a conditional draft pick. We get salary cap space. Is it worth it?

The cheap answer is to say "Well, we'll have to wait until we see who we sign with those allocations." First, it seems like there is some confusion as to the nature of the allocation. From what I can tell, this is not RSL's "Designated Player (DP)" allocation (the so-called Beckham rule) but rather a typical international allocation. I'm sure I'll get corrected if I am wrong. Now, let's consider some of DC's usage of international allocations since 2004:

1. Christian Gomez: Brilliant.
2. Steve Guppy: Bust.
3. Facundo Erpen: Decent.
4. Lucio Filomeno: Bust.
5. Mattias Donnet: TBD, but if DC can't resign him and he leaves after half a season, it was a bust.

We've gotten two strong contributors with allocations, but we've also had some missteps. Our allocation strategy is decent, but it's not a sure thing. Similarly, our history with draft picks isn't anything to brag about either. So by clearing out Freddy Adu and Nick Rimando, all DC has gained is the potential to make future moves with both cap space and roster flexibility, including an allocation and a DP slot to be used.

Does this make sense? Personally, being a fan, I would rather get a young player we could use now with this package. Rimando/Adu would have been enough to purchase a great deal. So right now I'm uneasy about this deal. The only way this makes sense is if DC has targets for both the allocation and the DP identified, and that the DP is pretty expensive. Yet even that scenario carries a certain degree of risk. While people may be quick to say "Ah, this is a bang-bang deal for both sides," I'm not sure I agree. DC has given up one play to make another, and the marginal cost to some degree must include a calculation of the uncertainty surrounding their moves. Right now, this deal makes some sense, but I doubt it is as good a deal as we could have gotten on the margins. We gave away a lot, and right now have little to show for it. Patience, I know, but this will require scrutiny from now until opening day 2007.

Update: Again, "wait and see" is not the only message. I think this requires "wait and see" with "be a tad skeptical, and think on whether whatever we get is as good as we could have gotten." I'm not saying it's a bad deal. I'm just saying that it may not be as good a deal as you could have made. Think "Opportunity cost."

Adu Traded to RSL

In a blockbuster trade, DC United has traded Freddy Adu and Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake for a major allocation, Jay Nolly, and future considerations. It seems some of the future considerations is a portion of Freddy's possible transfer fee. More analysis to come later, but for now how large that portion is could be the difference between a great deal and a horrible trade.

I am still grappling with this in my head. D and Oscar don't hesitate to chime in, as well as any commentators.