Union use Fountain of Youth - Is that their path to the #3 Draft Pick?
by Dave Clark on Mar 28, 2010 9:19 AM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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PrintI've read lots of excuses concerning the Union's performance. There's their coach calling out the flopping and dishonesty of players on the Sounders. I have read a criticism of the Field Turf and weather. Which would be funny if the Union thought that weather and turf were the problems, they knew they were going to be in Seattle in March for how long? Train as you fight, that's what the Dept of Defense says, that the Union would choose not to is their own fault.
There is also the natural tact that they are just a new team and haven't played together much. So was Seattle last year when they kicked the ass of Red Bull New York.
You want a legitimate reason why the Union struggled last Thursday, and will for most of the year?
24 years old- that's the age of the starting lineup that was put out. There are Olympic soccer team's with more life experience, and certainly ones with more soccer experience. Sure Nowak has experience coaching younger players, but can he turn a team that young into winners?
The Sounders by the way averaged 28.2 years old in the starting lineup, and both sides got younger through their substitutions, which is surprising since the oldest player on the Union came on as a sub.
Now, there is very little correlation between age and points per game in MLS. But there has also never been a team as young as the Union were for First Kick.
Four teenagers vs Zero
Three 30+ v Three
But what if we do it by rough guides to peak? Forwards 24-26, Attacking Mids/Wingers 25-27, Defensive Mids/Full backs 26-28, Centerbacks 27-29, Keepers 28-30. This has been a rough guide based on very preliminary work. The general idea being that attacking players are more about athleticism and defensive players are more about thinking. It was originally done for the EPL, and is still in its crude stages. But it doesn't fail the laugh test, and so I'll use it.
Philly Players within peak - 3
Seattle Players within peak - 0
PrePeak Union (within 2 years) - 2
PrePeak Sounders (within 2 years) - 5
The Union are even so young that their players aren't within two years of their peak for the positions which they play. This may mean that their fans will have to be very patient, or that Nowak will be the Coach of the Year in 2011.
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Of course, if Vagenas had played
That would have really skewed the numbers. Adding in a 932-year-old would raise our average to almost 90.
Nowak needs to look in the mirror for someone too blame. Mwanga as a central midfielder? Orozco in the midfield? Stahl as a centerback? Multiple young players out of the positions they are used to is a recipe for disaster.
No question
They’re young, okay. Getting up-and-coming young players is one strategy to build a good long-term foundation for a club (just don’t expect them to be great right away). But then to take that developing youth and play them out of position like Mwanga? What a weird move.
We are pretty young ourselves
We are really loaded with good young prospects on the Sounders. If we can just keep them developing, we should be good for years to come.
Yes, the Sounders have a donut hole at peak though
About 2/3rds young and 1/3 too old
I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Here’s my issue with it, however. If these players are as good as their potential won’t a mess of them be leaving MLS for greener pastures before their peaks? I like the plan in concept, make Philly a sort of Arsenal of the MLS, but really great players aren’t going to stay in MLS for years and years at the start of their careers. It’ll be interesting to see how the team progresses, but call me skeptical.
I have read, but need to confirm
that average time in MLS is only 3 years. Good players move on. Average players replaced with same quality but cheaper.
So why have a four year plan?
I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Meaning as a team
A four year plan for individual players can make sense, but I doubt it will work for the team as a whole.
I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I knew what you meant and I agree
MLS is not a destination league. Look at Fredy and all the talk of him leaving soon. Look at Maurice Adu (1 year at Toronto FC), Freddy Adu (4 years, but ages 13-17), Jozy Altodore (3 years, but ages 16-18), etc. If a player is any good, he is not long for the league. If he turns out to be another average MLS player, they didn’t gain anything by doing it this way.
Future?
Is this a trend that will continue as MLS’s pastures get greener? Or possibly, with more DP slots, higher salary cap, and more teams (maybe more games?) could the average time in MLS creep up to 4-5-6 years in the near future?
It still seems unlikely to me that we’d be able to keep young stars around even with another DP slot. It isn’t just about the money, although that certainly is a large part of it. The reality is we aren’t going to be a destination league for polished young talent, probably ever. Which is fine. We can take the Monteros and give them so educating in the ways of soccer and then pass them off. I suspect we’ll see more movement from guys that are slightly past their prime if they open up another DP slot. Maybe more guys in the Ljungberg age-range rather than guys that are 35+. In fact it may even get worse for a bit as the play improves. Better play means more learning for the young guys and more attention from elsewhere. If perceptions of poor quality hurt players looking to go to Europe you can bet that an improvement in those perceptions would help them.
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