Keeping Appropriate Distance and Creating Appropraite Value

In the course of being engrossed by the game to game mentality and analysis, it is easy for me to lose perspective of an entire season. At times like this, it is useful to look back on previous posts to remind myself of what I was thinking earlier, and to reapply that perspective to where we are now. I am prompted to do this, in part, because Booked for Dissent is in the middle of a series analyzing Dave Kasper's moves over the past few years. There's a lot there that is provocative, and it reminded me of something I wrote before this season began:

The mission of D.C. United is to serve the community and win championships. United has let their most visible humanitarian go to Houston. United has let the 2006 MLS MVP leave for a designated player. We are being told, in other words, that this team is more likely than that team to fulfill those two goals...

...this, we are told, is the best team to embody those principles...

While it is easy to focus on players in a game, this is a year that demands that we truly examine our coaching and front office. Players will win or lose games, but the front office and management will win or lose this season. They, more than any other parties, are responsible for the 2008 campaign. They had done right by us in the past, but the price of professional sports is inevitably "what have you done for me lately." The departure of Boswell, of Gomez, of Perkins... these all signify that while I give the roster moves of the past great credit, they do not matter for this season. This season is about the choices we have seen being made... Risk, in the markets, defines uncertainty, and riskier investments have a greater chance of crashing and burning, but also a greater chance of truly spectacular yields. D.C. United is now the most exotic South American tech stock in MLS.

Lifton is, I think, writing an analysis to evaluate the team along those lines, as he notes:

So really only three of the unknown commodities - Martinez, Emilio and Fred - could be considered as quality acquisitions. And the higher salaries given to those who have failed, notably Filomeno and Niell, have come at the expense of deepening the squad with players better suited to the style of play and demands of MLS.

To date, United's return on investment has yielded a .500 record, 4th place in the Eastern Conference, a similar finish in the CONCACAF Champion's League to last season, an elimination in group play in Superliga, and a semi-final US Open Cup appearance. Only the US Open Cup run is an improvement, all the rest is either treading water or regression. What's more, the US Open Cup run has been largely powered by the reserved, not the flashy acquisitions. If United were a publicly traded company, the shareholders would be in revolt.

Which, in a strange way, brings us to the acquisitions of Joe Vide and Ivan Guerrero. In baseball, the concept of Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) has been well established. It examines players not in isolation, but in comparison to what your typical backup player would do in the same position. There is much literature using VORP in the way that baseball SABRE-types can do with such facility, and which we can not, but the I want to borrow the concept if not the statistics. United's acquisitions have frequently never been baseline against the average MLS player, or the average MLS backup. That makes some sense, since United's approach to signings has frequently been to find the players to ensure excellence, not competence. The problem is that while United has searched for excellence, they've incurred a larger risk of getting either replacement-level or below replacement-level players in return. Our acquisitions have been tremendous (Gomez, Emilio, and hell, let's even throw in Gallardo and Fred despite the arguments that can ensue) or utter busts (Donnet, Filomeno, Niell). About the only time United ended up with someone who was an average player was Erpen, whom we traded away.

The issue here is at least partially one of translation. The South American market is one that does not translate as one-to-one with MLS, and so projecting out ability is difficult. We simply can't tell with a high degree of confidence how players will adapt to the MLS style of play. Period. You may get great result, crappy results, and any combination in between. And if most of your acquisitions are from South America, you're pretty much betting the dice will come up sixes multiple times in a row.

Which is why the acquisition of Vide and Guerrero is important -- it represents a shift away from the high risk/high reward theory of player acquisition that has dominated the last three years. Vide is not going to be a superstar, or likely be a replacement for Clyde Simms. What he is, however, is someone who you can evaluate in this league, and you can tell that you will get at least replacement player value from him, if not slightly better. Guerrero has more upside that that, but again, the baseline is higher for him than for signing, say, another Mattias Donnet. We can translate his performance more easily, and it won't be a complete bust. At worst, he's likely slightly better than your fungible replacement player, and at best he'll be a solid contributor. This is a mindset shift.

The season is not over, but this is the heartening sign - faced with a season where high expectations have met pervasive mediocrity, United has not tried to fill the inside straight to save the season. Instead, they've made lower risk, lower potential reward moves, but ones that serve to develop depth and provide confidence in the new players. That makes me hopeful. I think, when all is said and done, this season is likely to be viewed with more disappointment than joy, but it won't be remembered as a travesty.

Friday Coffee and Call for Advocates

LET'S ENUMERATE THE SUCK: The news of Perralta and Gallardo needing to go out for hernia surgery does suck, as that injury seems to plague this team somehow. The news that Carvallo has been released moderately sucks, in that it indicates our lack of depth not just in defense but in the keeper position as well. And the acquisition of Joe Vide only sucks if we allow ourselves to somehow believe that this is the sum of United's answers to a problem with depth all over the field. So there's suck going around, and this just emphasizes the need to play the reserves in this Superliga match against Houston*. We may need to get them all match fit anyway at the rate players are being lost. The season is not over. It's just more difficult. And this also increases the worry that we may burn out some other players (Moreno, Fred, and Namoff come to mind) while we're trying to stay afloat with these injuries.

CALL FOR ADVOCATES - FRED NEXT FRIDAY: BDR, a man I respect immensely, called for a Fred symposium. While I wanted to oblige, I realized I couldn't resolve the internal arguments in my head in any sort of cohesive fashion. So instead, I want to call back to some work early in this blog's life. Two years ago I toyed with writing mock trial posts, and having things argued out in public. I want to do this again, but I want your help. I want to hold a public trial of Fred, and I'm looking for people to act as the advocates for the defense and prosecution. Next week, we can argue the case over email, and then have a series of posts where the case is heard, and decided by The Honorable Judge D (with concurring or dissenting opinions from other DCenters regulars). If you are interested in acting for the defense or prosecution, drop me an email (the address is on the sidebar). If this works, we'll have more trials in the future. Advocates will have full credit for their work, links to blogs they write, and will of course be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of American Soccer. Writing over the next week should consist of no more than 2-3 paragraphs or so, so I hope it won't be too much of a burden. And if it works, I hope to stage more of these in the future. This could be fun. For this version, I'll leave it to the prosecution to determine charges, but might recommend "Negligent Finishing (at least 1 count, perhaps 3 to 4)", "Dereliction of Duty" and "Fraudulent Showboating" So come on, drop me an email and let's get in on the fun.

*Corrected from me stupidly writing Chivas.

Niell's tenure to be cut short?

Word in both the Examiner and WaPo suggest the Niell will be on his way out soon, at the latest by July 1st when player contracts are guaranteed. At $150k a year, he has not produced as expected, and may be having trouble adjusting to the league and new playing demands. Unless he goes on a scoring streak of titanic proportions, I think the club will find it hard to rationalize keeping him.

Niell acknowledged having troubling fitting into United's system.

"I am the type of player that basically runs forward and I haven't had to run back in a defending capacity, which is something that I have had to get used to here," he said. "I feel I am making progress toward that and ultimately it is the coach's decision to include the players. . . .Right now, I find myself on the outside looking in."

While its tempting to but the blame squarely on Niell, the Front Office has to be taken to task for bringing in a player, a not inexpensive one at that, and forcing him to not play to his strengths.

Status Q-uo

So it is done, and Santino Quaranta returns to United. I stand by my previous comments, but let me make this clear. I will not root against, or not support Tino. I support the shirt, and if Tino is in that shirt then I shall support him. Yet there will be some detachment, a sense of judgement at all times.

There have been many thoughtful comments in our previous post, many which point out very reasonable objections to my feelings, other from people who feel similarly. And really, I think, this is one of those situations that can be up to individual fans and their own (ir)rationalities. And let me be clear on one other thing -- I want Tino to prove me wrong, to demonstrate to all of us that he clearly belongs. But part of me is also concerned that the biggest hurdle to this might not be a long struggle to regain his form, but instead if he gets success too early. We know that he has mentally responded to a challenging situation with the right attitude, but if things go well will it be tempting to slide back to the way things were? How he handles success may be just as, if not more, important than how he has handled getting cut from New York. I want Tino to succeed, but I am wary.

Redemption Song, But I Do Not Sing Along

Yes, I am trying to fit in as many business trips as I can before the resumption of the season, which has put me out of the writing business for a bit. Now, I do not flatter myself as the greatest soccer polemicist of our time, but I do find it interesting that as soon as this site goes momentarily silent, United brings Santino Quaranta into camp.

I know that the high road for Tino's return would be let the past be the past, let bygones be bygones, and wish him well. If all he does is score goals, that should be enough, right? We should all forgive, forget, and celebrate that young Santino has decided to put his game and life back together here in DC. Certainly the voices at UnitedMania are talking up the idea of giving him another chance:

...if it does come around for Tino, and I'm talking all the way around, this could be another in a long line of fantastic under the radar type of moves that United and their front office have been pulling off for a number of years now.

BDR likewise tells the Story of How One Player Found Moral Redemption By Scoring Goals for United:

If - if if if - Quaranta understands this may be his last chance to avoid a lifetime of working the pit of a Jiffy Lube, this could be the steal of the year for United.

So allow me to be the bastardly curmudgeon who ruins everyone patting themselves on the back for being such good forgiving people. I'll say it simply: Santino Quaranta has dug himself a hole that will take the entire season for him to climb out of. Make a hole with a gun perpendicular to the name of DC on a desktop globe, and the exit wound is closer to Tino's current depth. (Ha! That's plagarism, that is.) Even these comments (from Goff's story) do not atone:

He made a strong impression for the Galaxy, scoring three goals in 12 league games. He also infuriated some United supporters when, in his return to RFK, he exchanged gestures and taunts. "I really owe them an apology," he said yesterday...Quaranta said that although he has firm offers from other MLS clubs, he wants to prove himself here..."I owe these fans," he said. "I cheated a lot of people in the process, and most of all, myself."

Correct, but the key word here is "owe" and it is a debt that Tino has not yet begun to repay. I have no problem with players going to other clubs and being proud of those clubs when they join them. I expect that, and that's fine with me. And when players are with other teams, I expect them to want to come back and beat D.C. United. Alecko? Facundo? Brandon? Christian? Yeah, I expect them all to want to come back and kick our ass. But when, and if, they do put the ball behind our keeper and into the net, that is the ultimate revenge. And they should take pride in that. It is also contingent that they be the ones to get the ball by us.

When Santino "exchanged gestures and taunts" it wasn't even Santino that had scored the goals. Santino's name is not on the scoresheet of the Free Beer Day debacle. Santino didn't even earn the spot kick that allowed Landon to put one in the goal (that would be, um, hey, Quavas Kirk. Nice to see ya pal.) And yet Tino felt compelled to run over and taunt the fans. Could I have forgiven that if he scored the goal? Probably, but as it was it was not nearly a celebration of revenge, but simply putting the boot in. It had no class. The problem wasn't the gestures, the problem was that he didn't earn it, and simply wanted to stick his fingers in the eyes for the sheer satisfaction of doing it.

Some will say that that once he starts playing, and playing well for United, that all will be forgiven. Not for me. Last year United marketed itself with the word "TRADITION" That word is even now interwoven in our jerseys. When we stole Luciano Emilio from Olimpia, and he rained goals upon them in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup match, he didn't go mad with celebration. His celebration was restrained, dignified, and respectful. He understood that the past is not merely prologue, it is an inherent part of the tapestry that defines our personality. To dishonor his history with Olimpia would have also dishonored his new club United. That was classy. And Santino did not understand that when he behaved as he did.

I can forgive the injuries, the lack of work ethic, and the occasionally combative personality. But I do not forgive easily a lack of respect for not just your old club, but for yourself. Maybe Santino really has put it all back together. And saying he's going to atone is the right thing to do. But I reserve the right to see if he's still got the new attitude in the oppressive heat of August and not just the pre-season practices.

I may be alone in refusing to meet Tino halfway, and that's fine. Everyone else can move on. I certainly would hope his teammates would. But as a fan, I can not. Not yet. Talk to me in September.

Grab a Cup of Coffee and a "I Voted in Arlington" Sticker

RANDOM POLITICAL RANT: Yes, it is cold this morning, but I still managed to drag myself to my local polling place and vote. Now, frankly, I'm not sure that one individual vote matters, but I'm pretty sure that politicians care about the types of people who vote. Old people vote, so politicians care about them. If nothing else, the fact that people under 40 (let alone under 30 like me) are getting out to the polls makes me think that perhaps some politicians will actually stop writing off the kids as people they can ignore. Plus, I want myself a soccer stadium. That may not be on the ballot, but if people who do want soccer stadiums vote, then maybe that'll be a nice bonus. Okay, that's a dream. But still...

FIFA LOVES EL DIABLO: I'm not sure what prompted FIFA.COM to run a "Marco Etcheverry - Not Just in Bolivia" article, but I like it. One of the things that this league is in danger of occasionally is losing touch with its past while it tries to reconfigure for future growth. We're fortunate in that "Tradition" is not just a catch-phrase around these parts, but something we take somewhat seriously. In a little over a decade, we have had some great moments. Let's not forget our early years. I think this guy agrees with me, and I also am pretty sure he's doing something about it.

DID YOU EVER PLAY SIM CITY AND RUN OUT OF ROOM TO ZONE COOL THINGS IN? Tim Lemke in the Times has an interesting article about the pace of stadium construction in the USA. One of the things I think it highlights is the fact that we need to move on the stadium situation now, in the next year or two, or the entire situation nation-wide may be bogged down beyond belief:

"We look at the U.S. pro sports market as about 80 percent built out," said Bob White, director of marketing for Kansas City-based architect HOK Sport Venue Event, whose numerous designs include Oriole Park and Nationals Park. "So we're not at the end of that phase, but we can certainly see the end."

"SYNERGY" - NOT JUST A CORPORATE BUZZWORD. OKAY, IT PROBABLY IS. HOW ABOUT "WIN-WIN" INSTEAD?Kyle McCarthy breaks down the Gomez to Colorado trade: "this deal benefits both teams and the league." I agree.

IF LA CAN PAY HIM, HE SHOULD GO: It's no secret that I like Jay Needham, if just because he was willing to do an interview with us. So the story that he might be heading to LA (via Goff) saddens me, since I think L.A. is pretty atrocious to people who aren't marquee attractions. But if they can pay him above the developmental salary, he should take the money and DC, not being willing to pay him, should trade him. I would want him here, but he had every right to want more than $30K for his services, and his time at Puerto Rico vindicated his decision.

Busy day for me, but I'll see if I can check back in later.

Gomez Gave Us Options, Even in Departure

I'm working on putting together an something I hope you might find interesting, but let's spend at least one post dedicated to the most important player that D.C. United had from 2004 to 2007: Christian Gomez. He is arguably the reason we won the MLS Cup in 2004. He was critical to the 2006 and 2007 Supporter's Shield runs. His free kicks were frequently the difference between one point and three points (such as last year against Houston.) I did say that Christian Gomez may not reach the highest order in the D.C. United pantheon, but that's primarily because he was only here for three and a half years. Does it seem longer? If so, it is because he was so good that it was hard to conceive of a time when he wasn't here.

What made Gomez so great was the versatility he brought to the field. He ran the offense, and made defenses respect that we had three legitimate scoring threats. Who could they eliminate? Gomez? Moreno? Eskandarian or Emilio? Someone would be free, and sometimes it was Ben Olsen, or Fred, or they just couldn't taken them all out. Gomez was the reason teams couldn't combat us the same way we'd combat Angel (deny him service, then watch the attack wither). They might try, and hack at his shins and ankles all day long, but even then we'd earn free kicks that could be even more dangerous.

And now, even as he leaves, we learn that Colorado had to give us their Designated Player slot for a few years after Toronto made a similar offer for him. Even if Christian Gomez isn't a Designated Player, it is clear he was worth the price of one, and to have the opportunity to sign a new player or promote one to a DP slot after the signing of Gallardo is immense. It is only fitting that Gomez would not just give us options while on the field, but expand the universe of options in his departure. Mr. Gomez, we salute you, and provided you don't grab your crotch at the fans when you spark Colorado to a nice scoring move, you will always receive a warm welcome at RFK. Thank you sir.

Voices Carry...

...see, because I waited 'til Tuesday for this post responding to reader comments. I know! You were expecting some cheesy Super Tuesday joke, not an Aimee Mann 1980s anti domestic violence sub reference. I shall leave the Super Tuesday type posts to those more fit to make them.

I like to highlight disagreements with me, or at least perceived disagreements with me, in this post, simply because I enjoy the lack of group-think. That's what this site is somewhat dedicated to. We do our analysis, we make up our minds. If you look at things and reach a different conclusion, well, that's just as good in my book. So, regarding the "Latin Flair" (a loaded term in and of itself) and what it means for United and MLS, let's address some of the comments from Friday's post.

First, to everyone who wrote in either agreeing, or at least saying how they enjoyed the analysis, thank you. I value those comments, especially when, as on Friday, I was a bit unsure of my territory. Sometimes it just helps to hear that I'm not utterly over-reading, or insane. Really, I get insecure. You may have noticed.

Now, to the critiques. JCM, of the most reputable Poplar Point Perspective, noted one concern: "...it bothers me that United's top draft pick went to France because he would max out at a $30,000 contract. If United was a bit better with the home grown talent, they wouldn't need to look quite as far for the $100-300K players." This is a valid point, and the fact is that the Salary Cap constricts how we pay players, especially draft picks. Now, when the players' Collective Bargaining Agreement comes up for renegotiation, we should watch closely. If MLS suits take a hard line in keeping minimum salaries low, and stringent caps in place, then MLS may well be shooting itself in the foot when it comes to retaining domestic talent. The departures of Needham and Jacobson represent a trend which is good on two fronts - it allows these players a chance to get more for their services than they would in MLS, and fires a nice warning shot across the bow. For years the Collective Bargaining Agreement was simply about cost-containment for MLS, and minimizing the losses. Now with the movement towards more profitable franchises, these austerity measures begin to look extreme. If there is new wealth coming into the league, some of it must be shared with players other than the Designated Player signings. Watch the CBA negotiations in a year or so.

Tarheel Tom takes issue with my tone: "Throwing out the accusations of racism was a bit hasty don't you think?" Tucksider echoes this in one of his comments, "one of the few things i often disagree with in your writing is what seems like a tendency to assume the basest motives in other writers." This is fair, and it stems from an odd situation. Let me take this opportunity before someone big sees this and gets angry to clarify -- I do not want to accuse Ridge Mahoney or Slow Francis of being racist. Mr. Mahoney is an excellent analyst, and Mr. SF is an excellent court jester. They do their jobs well. However, both I felt were loading the language in unfortunate ways. Mr. SF did it because sometimes to bring the funny, you need to bring the discomfort (which I'm fine with.) Mr. Mahoney was a bit more problematic, because I felt he didn't need to charge his writing quite in that way except to create a feeling of fear and foreboding that his analysis did not require. I disagree with his point, but his point was fine. The language was unnecessary, and while not hurtful, was drifting that way. The even more racist comments that are out there I think can be found through some easy google searches. I do not wish to link to them, so instead I went with the cases that were not nearly as offensive. That was a disservice to both SF and Mr. Mahoney, and I apologize.

Now, on the more substantive post, Tarheel Tom concludes his point with this:

Almost our entire audience are US citizens. They follow and DC not only because of the team but because it is the premier american club in existence. The defining term being american, if it is simply a team of brazilians and argentines then it might as well be independiente or Corinthians.

Now, this is a matter of perpective, and I think I disagree. While the majority of our audience is US Citizens, we do not bond to this team because of its American component. Emilio, Gomez, Etcheverry, Moreno, Raul Diaz Arce were loved by our US Fanbase on aggregate just as much, if not more, than Olsen, Pope, Harkes, Lassiter, or Boswell. Perhaps the hook for DC fans back in the day was the return of Harkes, but the bond that exists now is beyond that. I care about goals, tackles, and silverware, and do not care for nationality. I root for Ben Olsen not because he his an American, but because he provides the right attitude on the field and plays his heart out. When Ben Olsen made the US National team for Germany, I was happy for him and because I do root for the USA, but I was also happy the day Bolivia came to its senses and finally recalled Moreno to their squad.

Now, on to the issue of "building the National team." Kelly quite correctly notes that:

When MLS was getting off the ground, one of its stated objectives was, indeed, to develop "American" players. Given its dearth of youth programs, its worse than miserly salary cap and an utter disregard of international schedules, developing the "American" player yet remains one of the league's aims.

I concede all of these points, but I feel they are irrelevant. The goal for each team is winning, and however MLS tries to create incentives for developing US players, the only goal for my team is winning games however they can. Now, you can argue, as Kelly and Mr. Mahoney both do, that MLS needs to do a better job with those incentives. Still, at no point should we ever mistake that the league's goals and the team's goals are, or even should be, the same. To goal of the team is to win the league, and its strategies for working in that direction should never be confused with the league's priorities. The league doesn't like dynasties that upset parity. I kind of like them, provided it is my team that's the dynasty. Teams love to be a dynasty. Just ask those crazy kids in Houston.

And that's the thing. When D.C. United was just doing its own thing, most commenters are correct that no one objected. The concern now is that D.C. has become the model, and now the objections are coming. That somehow it is unfair.

Now, the most fundamental point that I need to make is this. We are conditioned to view the influx of foreign players and the development of American players as a zero sum game. Certainly the salary cap and low developmental salaries bolster that view. So let me agree with everyone who says we must raise the cap and pay a (for lack of a better term) living wage to all of our players. I agree with all of you. We are now beyond the time when economic reality made it impossible for MLS to be expected to take care of the new developing players. And I agree with Kelly that sitting on the bench in Europe may be just as beneficial to a player's skills as sitting on a bench in Columbus (which is to say, not at all). But even the players have figured this out, looking to go places where they will get time on the field. Perkins is not the third string at West Ham, he is the starter in the European North. Adu is getting substitute time with Benfica, not rotting in Madrid's reserves. Needham wanted to start and earn more money in Puerto Rico. They have made smart choices all (the Michael Bradley example is also relevant, although he was playing pretty damn well in New York before Mo got rid of him). Even Benny Feilhaber realizes that benched for Derby sucks, and was willing to go to Israel.

Finally, one more point. I have carefully not said that I am sure that United's signings, or any team's South American signings, will bring success in 2008 or upcoming seasons. I don't know. I think I've been clear on that. If United is barking up the wrong tree, they will lose. I will say that looking at United's history shows that they have gotten good returns on South American talent, and to that extent I can understand the desire to double-down on that continent. But if they were wrong, and if another team shows that developing American talent is more effective in MLS, then United will lose for a few seasons... and then they will adjust. I am not saying that players are better simply because they are from South America, I am saying that United is better at identifying the right, affordable talent in South America than they are in the United States. We, to perhaps exaggerate a bit, suck at identifying talent in the United States that we can keep and use. And perhaps that will bite us. As I have said, this season may be more about the choices of the front office than the players on the pitch.

Priority and Strategy

Or, why I don't give a damn about Nationalism when thinking about United's starting XI.

Emphasize your strengths, minimize your weaknesses. It is one of the most fundamental rules of achieving success in any endeavor, and it is true of soccer as well. It is true in terms of how an individual plays his game, how a team adopts tactics for another team, how a manager plans for a season, and how a front office establishes a long-term plan. D.C. United has, in this off-season, placed this plan into overdrive with its acquisitions from CONMEBOL countries. At first, United was thought to be working a primarily Bolivian connection with Etcheverry and Moreno. But the scope expanded from country to continent with the arrival of Christian Gomez (Argentina), Luciano Emilio (Brazil), Fred (Brazil), Facundo Erpen (Argentina) as well as some of the non successful plays with Matthias Donnet (Argentina) and Filomeno (Argentina). Not that United abandoned other locations for players. Casal came from London, Steve Guppy was an English International, Rod Dyachenko may be from the East but we only knew him because he played college soccer in Las Vegas. Still, the largest return on investment is from South America.

United's South American focus is inherently logical from a business perspective: It works for us, it makes sense. Yet we can tell that people are not entirely comfortable with it. SF at The Offside Rules wrote the following:

DC has always had an international line-up that matched the city's multicultural populace. But being that they operated under the league's strict policy regarding foreign players it never seemed over the top. But looking at the names linked to the team in the transfer rumors this off season, it's almost like Tommy Soehn & co. have forgotten about the leagues role in developing American players entirely.

Well, yes. Kasper, Soehn, and Payne probably don't care about developing American players. That's a method to success, not an end in and of itself. And, to be frank, we're not particularly good at it. Some, such as Steve Nicol in New England, are rather good at taking their college picks and putting them on the field, developing their talent. We're not. But the important thing is that at the end of the day, for all that development, the only thing the Revolution have won is a U.S. Open Cup (fittingly enough.) I will not engage in the cliched United fan's behavior of reciting our trophy cabinet.

Still, there is a sense being promulgated in various places that somehow this is unamerican, that somehow we are off-shoring jobs to South America. In most places, writers have the good-grace to not openly engage in race/nationality-baiting on the issue. SF writes "I don't think it's a bad thing, just a curious development in the the leagues evolution," which is perhaps one step up from "not that there's anything wrong with that." Ridge Mahoney in MLS Confidential is willing to go one-step farther.

...in MLS, if Chivas USA wants to field eight Mexican players, plus however many more it can sign by trading for additional slots, it can do so. FCD could load up on South Americans. Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio could open a pipeline from Medellin to the Meadowlands. “Trader Mo” Johnston could invite a slew of British retreads to represent TFC.

There is a panic one can hear in these words, "the foreigners are coming!" I do not think it is an accident that the words "pipeline" and "Medellin" are used so closely together. While SF at the Offisde Rules was simply making a jest with "DC United Love South America More Than Drug Dealers," it seems Mr. Mahoney is almost taking it as a serious concern. Am I being oversensitive? I think not. Mr. Mahoney continues:

Has the league gained anything by encouraging teams to sign cheaper foreign players, assuming they will be willing to play for MLS salaries, rather than Americans? And teams can certainly pay out more to additional international players while squeezing the Americans still further...Logic dictates if teams have more slots available for foreign players, who normally cost more than domestic players, and sign more of them, less money will be available for Americans, many of whom - even those on the regular, 18-man roster - earn the league minimum ($32,000 in 2008) or close to it. MLS contentions that the new international guidelines don’t impact American players don’t ring true.

The idea that MLS teams should operate a developmental system of U.S. Talent strikes me as naive. Certainly D.C. gained some valuable marketing material from John Harkes on patrol in the early days. But that was then, when the soccer crowd in the United States was much less sophisticated, and to the extent the average fan in the United States paid attention, it was to recognize the occasional world cup name from the 1994 campaign and might be able to identify the faces of Pele and Maradonna (but probably not Best, or Cruyff). After over a decade of MLS, and Fox Soccer Channel, and Gol, and Setanta Sports, the average soccer fan is much more sophisticated and we care about our league and teams not because they are here in America, but because we want them to win.

United's goals are to win trophies, and United has, as Oscar and Kinney have both written, a competitive advantage in South American scouting. So the Front Office has doubled-down on that theory. I am not rooting for a team to make the US National Team better, or to improve the general quality of U.S. players. I am rooting for a team to win. MLS, as well, may care about developing US players, but first and foremost it needs to put out a product that people will spend money on. And right now, with future expansion coming, and some fans a bit jaded when they compare MLS teams to the EPL, or La Liga, or what they see in Libertadores, they simply can't make developing US talent a priority over putting a non-amateurish product out on the field.

Am I disappointed that United has not done well in the draft, as we have documented on this site? Yes. Would I love it if some future US Nats came up through the academy of D.C. United? Oh yes. But when I think about my team, I care about them winning, and exploiting every competitive advantage they have in trying to win. For D.C. United, this is "nothing new", as Gregory Sica writes in a good overview at SI.Com. We have always been a team that has sought talent from around the world. Our early years saw Raul Diaz Arce and Etcheverry. Those years it worked. Some years it did not, as when Hristo Stoichkov came to United with his impressive pedigree at Barcelona. But we have always attempted to not simply be the US Under-23 team. Our goal was always to find a team that would win trophies. It worked more often than not, and now we see other teams doing the same (RSL) or being urged to do the same, as Bernardo Fallas urges the Houston Dynamo to look south, young men.

And perhaps that's why I detect the whiff of racism. Not with Ridge Mahoney, who I think unfortunately framed his language in his article, but otherwise shows every indication, but in the larger gestalt about how it might be easier for D.C. Untied to "Move to South America" as one writer put it, or the not so subtle slanders that somehow La Barra Brava will blindly cheer any South American (ask Filomeno about that). When Europeans are coming into the league, that's one thing. Hooray for David Beckham, and rule change that brings him here. But when the people aren't quite so white, or perhaps are motivated because of unstable economic conditions, well then suddenly we're bankrupting Mom and her Apple Pie business. It's unsavory.

Now, at some point, there will be no competitive advantage for United in South America. Everyone is hip to the gig now, so in ten years perhaps the draft will be the great overlooked deciding factor. Markets, and there is no truer global market than soccer, find ways of taking economic advantages that one team, or corporation develops, and exporting them elsewhere, so suddenly the tallest tower you built is hemmed in by sky-scrapers on all sides. And so we will look to the next place for an advantage. No doubt at some point, a strongly developed youth system will play a bigger role than it does now, and I hope we can keep our advantage long enough to figure out what we're doing wrong when it comes to developing players, and then turn that to our advantage.

Meet Marcelo Gallardo

Marcelo Gallardo makes DC history today just for being the team's first Designated Player. There's still an MLS season to play and determine if he'll go down as a Denilson or Reyna DP, or turn out to have it like Blanco or Angel.

What do we know about him?

He's 5'6"", and thus nicknamed "El Muñeco" - "The Doll". I fully expect opposing defenders to hack and foul him, to disrupt his game.

He made his professional debut with River Plate at the age of 16. After seven years, 109 appearances, and 17 goals in Argentina, he transfered to French Club Monaco. His spell in the French Premiere Devision lasted four seasons. During that time, AS Monaco won the league (2000), the league cup (2003), and champion's trophy (2000). In 2000, Gallardo was named French Ligue 1 Footballer of the Year. A fallout with Monaco's coach precipitated his return to River Plate in 2003. During his second stint with River he scored 25 goals in 77 appearances, and won the Clausura in 2004. One year ago, he returned to the French first division with Paris Saint-Germain for a lackluster season, starting only one game.

He's been capped by Argentina 44 times, and has scored 14 goals for the national side. Besides playing on the 1998 and 2002 World Cup squads, he was also on the Olympic team that won a silver medal in Atlanta in 1996.

Clearly, Gallardo has been on teams that win hardware. The question now is, will that continue or is that in the past?

Other Reactions

• DCSundevil "I hope that the front office are right about Gallardo."


• My Soccer Blog on our very own Beckham: "Gallardo should be able to bring some solid technical skills to the team"

As a footnote, in comments earlier I mentioned that Gallardo was meant to market the team to Argentineans. To clarify, I meant to point out that I think to the suits in MLS, a significant factor in being pursued as a DP is marketability beyond MLS fans.

Rebuilt.

It was a decently warm game when D.C. United opened the home season in 2006 against the New York Red Bulls. Despite the previous years ignominious defeat to Chicago, the mood was somewhat optimistic. Several prognosticators picked United to finish first in the East for the upcoming year. With Christian Gomez serving a red card suspension, and Nick Rimando injured from preseason, the line-up was perhaps not the entire first string. Onto the field came Troy Perkins, Brandon Prideaux, Facundo Erpen, John Wilson, Joshua Gros, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen, Clyde Simms, Freddy Adu, Lucio Filomeno and , Jaime Moreno. The team would fall behind early, but the insertion of Alecko Eskandarian in the second half rallied the team, which drew 2-2. That team would go on to the Supporter's Shield in 2006, with Troy Perkins displacing Rimando as United's #1 keeper, and Christian Gomez returning to an MVP Award.

It is now 2008, and from that original line-up, only Ben Olsen, Clyde Simms, and Jaime Moreno remain. Substitutes Eskandarian and Quaranta are gone. Gomez is now gone, despite his suspension. Rimando is gone. Of the 16 players mentioned, only three remain, and only Brian Namoff can really be said to have been part of that club as well and still be part of the team. That's three-quarters of lineup that has changed in two years.

Last year I wrote frequently that it was a rebuilding year, and while the results may not have reflected that idea (another successful Supporter's Shield Campaign), you can not deny that since 2006, this team has been rebuilt. Entirely. New head coach, new players, and now a new designated player. The implications of this should not be lost, and BDR has voiced a point that I agree with: "Nothing that happens this upcoming season can be blamed on a nowakian hangover."

He's right, and let's state it in another way -- 2008 is a statement year for Soehn, Kasper, and Payne. This is a team, more than any other since roughly early in this decade, where they have made a significant moved to put the team they want on the field. They have made choices, in what to acquire, and in what not to acquire. They have put their vision, the vision they believe in, on the field.

Let us take Kevin Payne at his word (pretty easy to do, since he's not really given us much of a reason to ever doubt him): The mission of D.C. United is to serve the community and win championships. United has let their most visible humanitarian go to Houston. United has let the 2006 MLS MVP leave for a designated player. We are being told, in other words, that this team is more likely than that team to fulfill those two goals. Oscar may have a point about marketing to Argentinian population, but that's not the mission of D.C. United as stated. The two foremost principles are silverware and community involvement. And this, we are told, is the best team to embody those principles.

While it is easy to focus on players in a game, this is a year that demands that we truly examine our coaching and front office. Players will win or lose games, but the front office and management will win or lose this season. They, more than any other parties, are responsible for the 2008 campaign. They had done right by us in the past, but the price of professional sports is inevitably "what have you done for me lately." The departure of Boswell, of Gomez, of Perkins... these all signify that while I give the roster moves of the past great credit, they do not matter for this season. This season is about the choices we have seen being made. If they do not work out, the chances of hot-headed, impulsive fans like me yelling for a change at the top of the power structure are much likelier then if United had stood-pat or had greater continuity.

Of course, the reverse applies as well. If United is successful this season, then the Front Office and Tom Soehn will have earned themselves a lot of slack for the next several seasons. They will have made the choices they needed to make. Risk, in the markets, defines uncertainty, and riskier investments have a greater chance of crashing and burning, but also a greater chance of truly spectacular yields. D.C. United is now the most exotic South American tech stock in MLS. And I am invested in it. Fully. Utterly.

Degrees of Greatness

Lest I become a complete cheerleader for all things Kasper and Payne, let me suggest that the idea of Gallardo becoming a Designated Player selection, as hinted in this morning's writings from the Goffather, strikes me as a bit troubling.

... it is uncertain whether Gallardo will participate right away or wait until camp moves to Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday. It also is unclear whether United is acquiring him through MLS's year-old designated player rule, which allows clubs to sign high-profile players, such as David Beckham, outside normal salary guidelines.

That we would let Christian Gomez go because we didn't want to use our Designated Player slot on Gomez is understandable, but only if you have a decent list of impact choices that you would want to use that slot on. But to turn around and use that option on Gomez's replacement, well, that strikes me as a misstep (and one that I hope to see soon isn't being taken.) Let me put it this way - Let's stipulate for a moment that Gallardo will be a better playmaker than Gomez. But Gomez was, I think we can all agree, one of the better playmakers compared to the rest of MLS. So in essence we're banking that Gallardo will give us more improvement as a playmaker than we could reasonable expect to see then if we brought in a playmaker in any other position (say, a winger, or wingback, or center back). Even certain neutrals agree that right now our defense is a bit suspect (even if I disagree with said neutrals on the efficacy of signing Mr. Vanney to fill that hole.) And that's an argument I don't buy, not for a moment, even stipulating that Gallardo is all we want. Is this really worth giving Gallardo what we could have given Christian Gomez (who's about the same age, and we don't have any questions as to whether Christian would be disinterested on the pitch), and not ruffled all these feathers as a result? I doubt it.

So, right now, I'm willing to welcome Gallardo to DC, but a Designated Player acquisition would be a price too high.

UPDATE: I forgot the reason I titled this post what I did in the first place. Yes, to talk about the incremental differences between Gallardo and Gomez, but also to discuss my statement that "Gomez is not a legend" at United. I stand by that statement (for now, though my thinking can change.) He certainly was a great player while he was here, but a Legend to me is someone who fundamentally shapes the entire franchise and its history, and I'm not quite sure he's at the iconic level of an Etcheverry or Moreno. One Anonymous commenter makes a case for Pope, which is good, especially since he scored the single most important goal in defining United for a decade to come, so I can see that. Dave Lifton makes the case for Gomez here.

Oh, and there's a ton to talk about right now, isn't there?

Supplemental

Look, I could write a supplemental draft write-up. Or wait for Kinney or Oscar or Bob to do it. And they still may, I don't know. We're pretty independent here. But frankly, if just for the distance they work for the joke, I'm just gonna refer you to The Fullback Files' post on the matter, and commend to your attention the following:

Round 2 - Dan Stratford (midfielder, West Virginia, Fulham academy)...Good God, I hope he doesn't meet a nice girl named Yvonne--imagine the Developmental Players House Party out-takes . . . "So then I'm stumbling into the room drunk, and there's Stratford-upon-Yvonne." The horror.

Some jokes are there, some jokes you need to work for, and some jokes you need to take a bus and change outside of Chicago to get at. That being said, it's worth the fare.

Also, I've done a bit of work on the blogroll, taking out some people who look like they've gone defunct, adding a few (Plenderleith, for one, and Caught in Posession whose comments right now are almost water-cooler chatter for certain MLSNet writers)

QUICK UPDATE: Soccer City FC (need to get them in the blogroll) has some quotes with the afore-mentioned Mr. Stratford. No word on any names of the Significant Other(s). Which is probably as it should be, Bardesque jokes be damned.

Ultimately the Outrage I Find Can Not Sustain Itself

I am not without pettiness. Part of me reads the story of the falling-out between Christian Gomez and D.C. United, and I want to be incensed at Christian for not showing enough loyalty to come back at the terms United offered. The terms offered were decent -- $300K to $350K per year in cap space. Gomez wanted $500K a year which meant $400K in cap space. You can look at that and say "Hey, that's a difference of only $100K under the cap at most, why not? He has earned it, and the money above the cap is fairly nominal for a Designated Player." But, of course, it would have meant abandoning the opportunity of pursuing another Designated Player, and United judged the opportunity cost as too high. In which case you're thinking "Hey, it's few hundred thousand to stay, why can't he come down, work with us here?"

I am sure there are those in their heart of hearts who will feel betrayed by this. Then they will point to Christian's performance, wonder if he ever really could handle the full MLS Season, wonder aloud about his willingness to learn English, and question if he was ever really part of the culture at D.C. United. These people should, of course, be hit in the head with a two-by-four. Christian Gomez is the player who is single-most responsible for bringing home three trophies: Two Supporter's Shields and one MLS Cup. He's the link among the three successful (as in silverware winning) campaigns between 2004 and 2007. He may not have communicated in the locker-room, but he communicated plenty on the field. As for the English thing, I offer you the following joke:

Q: What's the difference between Christan Gomez and Alexi Lalas speaking English?

A: You can at least translate Christian Gomez sensibly.

So ultimately there was a difference of opinion, and Christian wants to go. Fine. He will be missed. If there is a sadness, it is that Christian will not play enough in a United uniform to truly become one of the great legends of United, a Marco Etcheverry, a Jaime Moreno. Instead he'll be one tier down in that list of great players who spent some time here, but didn't define the organization by their presence (John Harkes, Raul Diaz Arce, Eddie Pope). A Great, not a Legend.

So, no, I can harbor no ill-will with Christian Gomez as for how things ended, no can I get outraged at the front office for not keeping him. There is such a thing as a no-fault divorce, and now both have grown in different directions, apart from each other. It is sad, but short of signing Right Back Hayley Mills and Left Back Hayley Mills, I think reconciliation is unlikely. That's the way it goes sometimes. It's sad, very sad, but it isn't worth outrage. We'll wait for the final word before saying good-bye, but we are waiting.

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.

Half Done

With the formal announcement that United now has Franco Niell (Post, Times) on loan for the 2008 campaign, United has a decent sense of what they look like up-top and in front of the nets. Midfield and Defense are now the concerns, and training starts in less than a week. As Haydon says in the Times:

United is expected to make other key signings this week — possibly bringing in Peruvian goalie Jose Carvallo and Colombian defender Gonzalo Martinez — to replace goalie Troy Perkins and defender Bobby Boswell, both of whom recently left the team.

Also not finalized is the status of Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez. If Moreno doesn't sign (and most rumors say he will), at least United is now looking to be able to field two options at forward with Niell and Emilio. Would I prefer Moreno be part of a triumvirate of strikers? Yes. But at least I don't need to worry about a hole up-top.

The Gomez question is far more interesting. It is clear that United believes they have a Plan B, but there's a well known cliche about plans involving humans and rodents. I am still of the feeling that Gomez will be back, but I haven't moved from a 60% confidence level in that feeling.

Defensively, the signing of Martinez would almost be a one-for-one swap with the still unsigned Greg Vanney. That gets us out of the hole in the defense situation, but it does not address depth, which I know I have gone on far too much about with respect to the backline. But our defenders do get injured (hernias being a specialty), and carded, and games will be missed.

So what do I want to see? Get the rumored signings done, get Gomez or the Plan B option, add a wide threat in midfield, and another quality back. Is that too much to ask? Okay, probably it is. This is MLS, and rare is the team that can address all of its needs. Which is probably why coaching matters more in the this league than in others. In other leagues, you acquire the players and put them out there, and most teams will acquire players to address all levels of their team. With MLS, it seems every team will have one area where they are better than most of the league, and one area where they are far behind (Houston is an exception which proves the rule here). That makes tactical decisions almost as important as strategic decisions, since from week to week your comparative strengths and weaknesses will change.

Let me be clear - I am not worried about putting out a quality side right now. We don't have a dominant side, a side that I would say is the odds-on favorite for another Supporter's Shield run, but I don't think we have to worry much about being the laughing stock we were in 2002. We'll be competitive, and then we can take stock again. The interesting thing is that if we did manage to hit all items on the wish-list, this team could look very intimidating indeed.

Still waiting on Arguez's transfer...

I'm hearing that Arguez's transfer is gummed up in MLS Headquarters because their attention through this week was on the draft in Baltimore. Hertha wants him ASAP and expect him to be challenging for first team minutes immediately. Did DCU let him languish on the field, or was he really motivated to impress and jump overseas?

In totally unrelated news, Benny Feilhaber's future club has been open to speculation but MLS is not on the radar screen. Derby would like to recoup most of their investment in him, which likely prices him out of a side over here. Derby payed $1 Million for his transfer and turned down a $275K offer from Maccabi Tel Avi.

DCU's #24 Selection Is...Andrew Jacobson, Ryan Cordeiro was the 33rd pick, Tony Schmitz was the 52nd pick

Andrew Jacobson
With the 24th pick in the 2008 Superdraft, DC United picked Andrew Jacobson from California. Buzz had him ranked 8th out of the midfielders. Most mock drafts had him going much earlier. This is a guy that fell into United's lap. It looks like he will slot in behind Simms, which basically ensures that Arguez really is going to Berlin. Here is his bio from California. I think it is interesting that United rated Jacobson ahead of Lowry who was still on the board, hopefully we won't regretting that this time next year.

Ryan Cordeiro
With the 33rd pick in the 2008 Superdraft, DC United picked Ryan Cordeiro from UConn. He is ranked 10th in the forward group by Buzz, but will probably play a winger role for United. UConn was ranked number 1 in Soccer America's NCAA rankings for most of the year, here is Ryan's UConn bio.

Tony Schmitz
With the 52nd pick in the 2008 Superdraft, DC United picked Tony Schmitz from Creighton. Here is is Creighton bio. Buzz has him ranked all the way down as the 50th best midfielder. I don't know what United was thinking with this, I can only hope they did some extra scouting and found a player flying under the radar, not unlike Dyachenko. That of course is the best case scenario, it will probably play out more like Brad North, but drafts are all about hope so I will have some now.

1-2-3 What are we drafting for?

I can't really must much enthusiasm for the MLS Superdraft this year. Maybe it is the lack of a first round draft pick, our analysis which has indicated (though not conclusively proven) that DC is not particularly performing well in the draft the last few years. Although, here we may be confusing causes and effects. Is the issue that DC isn't finding talent? Given United's decent performance in finding overlooked players who have made it to first team time, I don't think that's the scenario. The issue is, I think, one of developing players. If we find a player with a reasonable amount of talent, we can find a place for them. If someone's talent is marginal to begin with, I'm not sure we're as good as other team at developing and honing those skills to make them better than they are. This is, by the way, an area I think other teams do much better than United in.

Now, the counter-argument is that with a strong first team (back-to-back Supporter's Shields and all that) it is more difficult for new players to break in. And I understand that, but that only holds for the Best XI, and given the large number of fixtures we look to have, we can't always play the Best XI. Tom Soehn gave the US Open Cup to the reserves, a position I agreed with (and continue to agree with), but that was only one game (which they disappointed in). Quite simply, is the problem not the players, but the training? It is a question I don't have an answer to, but it is a question that should be asked.

To some degree, I also think United is a bit cavalier about its draft picks. I think you should get a decent first team player with a first round pick, someone who can give you several years. The others are all a bit hit or miss, but the first round pick should be good for something. And yet, United has valued a first round draft pick as equivalent to Rod Dyachenko, a player I am not sold on to this date. Of course, one might think we were, shall we say, coerced into overpaying to get Rod back (given that his passport issues could have prevented him from playing any games in Toronto, I can see why Mo Johnston might have felt swindled in the Expansion Draft and complained to someone). So, in short, I don't think the draft will provide you with much reassurance about our upcoming 2008 roster. And look at the comments coming from the Front Office:

"If we can add a wide midfielder, that would be useful," United general manager Dave Kasper said. "We always need more cover in the back, but we are really just looking for the best talent available."

Sure, it would be useful to add a startling level wide midfielder from the draft, but I wouldn't count on it. United could draft another striker for defensive midfielder with their first pick. If I had a guess, I could see United picking a defender, but the last three words are the important ones - "Best talent available." Drafting for need with our situation is naive, and could create more problems than it solves. Consider what Kasper said to the Express:

"We want to come away each year with one or two young guys who can contribute at around minimum salary," Kasper said.

In other words, maybe we can find some value, but we're not looking for superstars. Seems about right.

Case Studies in Cutting Off One's Nose

Before I get into the main point of this post, I recommend that you check out Kinney's draft thoughts below, as well as the comments from Nick. Good Stuff. Also, a quick note that I am having technical problems at the moment, so my posting may be decreased until we fix it... Okay.

There are several interesting forces at work, but first, two key paragraphs from Soccer America that mirror my thoughts:

One can sympathize with Twellman, to a point, especially in the light of New England's obstructionist history regarding players going overseas. The Revs turned down inquiries from foreign clubs regarding ex-Rev keeper Adin Brown, midfielder Shalrie Joseph and Dempsey - refused permission by the team to train with Everton prior to his move abroad - prior to the Preston offer for Twellman. But that history should also have sounded a warning.

The question arises: is there a "trigger" price in Twellman's contract. If so, what is it, and if not, why not? Twellman, and a lot of other people, are surprised Preston has upped its bid to $2.5 million. But did he and his agent Dan Segal insist on such a clause in his contract?

It is clear by now that there is no such trigger, and that Twellman and his agent miscalculated on that score during their contract negotiations. Still, I can imagine that pretty much anyone who's planning on dealing with MLS in the future is going to insist on such a contract clause, especially if they think they may end up in New England. And New England's earlier denials that they were stopping Twellman from leaving were ludicrous. Sure, MLS may have been the formal entity blocking the transfer, but they damn well had New England's request before they did so.

If I am Michael Parkhurst, or Adam Christman, or any of the other promising young Revolution players, I imagine I am disturbed by New England's past and current obstructionism in letting players go where they want. And that will have two impacts - It will make putting a buyout trigger in place more important for the player during renegotiations, or it will place a downward pressure in terms of the length of deals. If New England is standing between me and a comfortable retirement, then I want to minimize the amount of time I have to deal with them.

I would naturally draw a contrast between New England and United here. With the sale of Troy Perkins, and the impending sale of Bryan Arguez, as well as a decent history of placing players abroad (Convey, Olsen, and at least tangentially, Nielsen, although he was out of contract), a young player can see that United will not stand in the way of a lucrative move elsewhere to further his career. That's not to say that United won't fight to keep talent on occasion, but from a player's perspective, he need not worry that a move to MLS and United means forgoing a big payday in the future if things work out for him. And that, especially on the non-superstar level, can be huge in the next five years.

Yes, United will lose some talented mid-tier role players.
And these players are going to be more important over the next five years, and expansion (San Jose, Seattle, and who else?) dilutes the talent pool. Strong role players are going to be harder to find as the median talent level decreases. Which means it may be easier to attract them to Washington, D.C., since they know we'll let them move on if it comes to that. We have a record. The Revolution, with their white-knuckle grip on talent, may ultimately lose more opportunities than that talent they save now. It's a gamble either way, but I think we have the better option. The next five years will provide a good case study to examine it all.