20 November 2007

Someone will say goodbye

The unprotected players list has been delivered (HT: Mike H.), and Bobby Boswell won the final immunity challenge as he is protected, leaving Vanney unprotected. Christian Gomez is also protected. Does that mean that United thinks Gomez is staying around another year? Not necessarily. Recall that in the 2005 expansion draft, Ryan Nelsen was left unprotected in the first round, but protected in later rounds despite it being a foregone conclusion that he was heading over the England.

Now, the conventional wisdom has decided that Brian Carroll or Greg Vanney are the most likely to be selected, but there are a few other players that we should at least give some consideration to the idea that they might not make it back. First among them is Rod Dyachenko. Rod was selected by FC Toronto last year, and we traded a first round pick to get him back (in a trade that fleeced United, especially when we learned that Dyanchenko would have problems getting across the border.) Now he's unprotected again, and I would hate to see history repeat itself. Rod is helped by the fact that Brian Carroll and Greg Vanney are both more likely to go, but if Frank Yallop wanted to move in a different direction I could see Dyanchenko fitting his plans. I can also see Yallop wanting a Jamil Walker type player for a few years, which means that while everyone sees Kpene unprotected, I can imagine him selecting Nicholas Addlery simply on the basis of knowing what to do with him. Of course, the talent shown to date makes the Carroll/Vanney choices more likely, but such a choice wouldn't stun me.

Of the unprotected list of players we've seen in the Starting XI, I would be stunned if Stephen DeRoux or Domenic Mediate were taken. Both have had good moments this year, but neither is assured of even making the team next season. There's a similar story with Justin Moose, who I seem to believe in more than most people, but a speedy player on the wing might be attractive to Yallop, since there's not a whole lot of that in the rest of the field that I would want to take a chance on.

Conventional wisdom is likely to hold. Carroll is most likely, followed by Vanney. But I would think that the rest of the list would be Dyachenko, Moose, Kpene, and Addlery, in order.

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7 Comments:

At 20 November, 2007 18:41, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with your list -- and your faith in Moose. I really like his speed and grit, and hope to see more of him at RFK next year now that he's fully recovered.
- rke

 
At 20 November, 2007 18:45, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think Carrol and Vanney are not as good picks to go as many think when compared to the rest of the field.
Carrol may get passed over with Chicago leaving Diego Gutierrez and RBNY leaving Joe Vide out. They can all play the holding mid role, and Vide has to be making less money.
Vanney isn't the only experienced defender out there (Prideaux, Petke, Avery John), so his high price and age may make him safer than you'd think.
Dychenko may be on the block, especially if SJ thinks DC would give someone/something up to get him back like last year. Walker was on San Jose the last time they existed, but his recovery is an unknown. Kepne or Addelry may get taken to fill that role for Yallop.

 
At 21 November, 2007 08:09, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Goff on Moose (second comment):

-K

Doesn't seem likely that United would have exposed Hot Rod and Moose if there weren't a decent chance we were losing #s 10 and 99.
-------

Moose's days in MLS may be numbered. Just hasn't panned out. Might be better off playing every day in USL.

 
At 21 November, 2007 10:29, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wouldn't be surprised if Josh Gros is the player picked from DC. He may not be the youngest or healthiest guy out there, but he would provide a bit of leadership.
-Peter

 
At 21 November, 2007 11:15, Blogger Martin Shatzer said...

Carroll's salary might be twice that of Vide, but so is his talent. I've been worried all along that Dyachenko would be the one to go, but I think he is safe now that we see Grabovoy exposed.

 
At 21 November, 2007 14:06, Blogger Unknown said...

Both Goff & Ives' blogs say Carroll was the one to go.

 
At 21 November, 2007 21:02, Blogger Kevin said...

There goes Carroll, and his salary.

 

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