Finding the Free - Take 2

This is where having transfer fees count under the salary cap especially hurts. There are a lot of players who will be leaving relegated teams who will still be under contract. Some of them might consider playing in the US, but their transfer fees will make them unreachable. The universe of signable players would expand greatly if MLS would make that one rule change. That would allow MLS to sign players closer to their prime, who would make more of an impact on the game than the kind of player that is often signed now. In the long run, MLS would probably come out ahead, money-wise, because they would receive transfer fees down the line for players who moved on to other clubs.

Yes, but there are still decent players available on a Free.

Ljungberg, Keller are two

Stern John is still good enough to be in MLS. Signing more English Frees will help the league (MLS) make up for expansion.

Oh, no doubt. I didn’t mean to imply that there are not quality players who available on frees at any given moment. I just think it’s better to have all those additional options on top of the players currently available to MLS. At any given time, there will be many more players looking to move that have transfer fees attached than are available for a free. Many of those players have fairly modest wage requirements that would fit in with MLS salary caps just fine, but the addition of a transfer fee, even one that just a couple hundred thousand dollars, could make signing that player impossible.

But life being what it is and not another thing, finding those impact players availabe on a free is part of what separate the high quality GMs in MLS from the mediocre ones. I don’t think the Sounders will be making any moves because we’ve got overstock problems on the roster as it is, but if we were looking for someone, I have a lot of confidence in Adrian’s ability to find that player and sign him.

I think it depends on how much money the Sounders still have to spend. If they have 3-400,00, then I think they may look for another forward or defender. One that can make an impant more than Sturgis or Jaqua. Otherwise they would just be signing someone for depth. Do you know how much they have left under the cap and how much allocation Dave?

TL, I think we’re pretty good as far as money goes, but our problem is we don’t have the roster spots to sign anyone else at this point. We’re actually going to have to figure something out in order to bring Jarrod Smith into the team, because we just don’t have a senior roster spot available right now. If there are a couple of long term injuries, we might have room to add someone, but as of now there’s no space to add any players.

There is yes, 300-400k in cap room.

For roster space there is a developmental spot available (though I have reason to believe that it will be occupied on June 4th).

But, if you can add talent, you do it. And that’s true for any team, in any league. Yes it may mean that someone is cut, or traded for less than value, but think of it this way. Would you add Messi, or would you as GM think that you don’t have room to add a player?

I should also note, that no player from outside US/Canada can be added until July 15th, this is really the searching/feeling out period. If Adrian finds someone intriguing he convinces them to wait (English window is July 1) and has a few months to move talent.

Darren Purse is a Free, with Sheffield Wed interested, a center back with heavy Eng Championship and Cup experience one would hope that MLS at least offers.

Marcus Hahnemann’s Reading will not be promoted, and now he might be available. While his transfer fee wouldn’t be the cost here, he would be subject to the allocation list. Oddly, FC Dallas fans don’t want him.

Brighton is releasing 14 players. Sam Gargan is 20 but has a knee injury.

The best thing we could do for ourselves is find a player with a consistently dangerous free kick. Currently, we’re unable to adequately punish opponents for fouling us, and we won’t be able to impose our game on matches until we can.

Wingback I can definitely agree with; tall I see as optional. A wingback’s bread is speed, his butter is crossing, and his marmelade is ball control (I needed three items and I like marmelade) and while there are plenty of great wingbacks who are tall (as an Inter fan, Maicon and Santon immediate come to mind) there have been plenty of short wingbacks too. Actually a younger clone of Roberto Carlos with some Juninho Pernambucano thrown in would be my perfect player. Fast, good dribbler, makes dangerous runs down the sideline, sends in deadly crosses, and can put the ball in the upper ninety from 35 yards plus out. All those skills are independent of height.

As a team generally I don’t think we have a problem with height, with Jaqua, Marshall, Le Toux and others at six feet or more. We haven’t been able to take advantage of that height and I think in the long run better crosses and precision on free kicks are more valuable than another head to aim for.

I’m just of the opinion that Marshall is so rarely brought up on set pieces that its really Jaqua with a sprinkling of Le Toux as heads for which to aim. So I’d like another one so that on tight peices they can’t double all the tall guys.

And I think that left wingback is the place where the personel least fit the system. Its not that I don’t like Scott/Sturgis, its just that they aren’t the ideal for this team.