Former Arsenal-England Nats Keeper on Trial with San Jose Earthquakes

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 2:28 PM PDT in Sounders: MLS Regular Season

Maybe you saw the tweet, or read the story.

Former England and Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright looks set to join San Jose Earthquakes after being given a trial at the MLS side by Frank Yallop.

How can they do that? I mean transfer season is done, right?

Yep, but what isn't done is the opportunity to sign a Free. Wright is that. And so our dozens of other MLS quality players. Here's a list of those that were in England last year. The most notable is probably one Jay DeMerit.

The Playoff Signing Window closes Sept 15th. Which means a player signed after that could not play in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Sounders kind of have a single roster slot open, as they could move a player to the IR and sign one. Both Pat Noonan and ~~Peter Vagenas~~ seem to have injuries that are significant enough that Hanauer could make such a move.

Any Free out there that you would like to see Seattle pick up?

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Comments

I thought Vagenas

was already on the IL.

by gstommylee on Sep 6, 2010 3:30 PM PDT reply actions

Estrada was activated this weekend

Doesn’t that mean the roster is full?

by LordIceman on Sep 6, 2010 4:07 PM PDT reply actions

Noonan could be moved to the IL/DL/IR whatever they call it this week

And a slot would be opened.

Or a player could be signed to the IL/DL/IR and only be available for Open Cup/CCL/Friendly play.

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Ah, you said "kind of"

I see what you did there.

by LordIceman on Sep 6, 2010 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Iraqi Captian, former FC Twente player still Free

Center Midfielder Nashat Akram still hasn’t signed, but he will be participating in the West Asian Championships through early October.

Here’s a highlight video

Nkufo in a few of the clips (wait, there are players who pass to Blaise?)

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 4:36 PM PDT reply actions

Any hints that this could be a possibility?

Or is this this a thought because you have covered the middle east.

by Camnehem on Sep 6, 2010 8:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Purely just a player on a Free that I like

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions

This might be a little too much

I know the Sounders have a better than normal scouting system. It seems that you are very conscious of the middle eastern players. You seem to know what is up. Do you ever shoot info to them? Or, do you assume they already know?

by Camnehem on Sep 6, 2010 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Just to clarify

Only frees are eligible to be signed? Or any player can be signed and play in the playoffs if done before the 15th?

by chrisperry1983 on Sep 6, 2010 5:53 PM PDT reply actions

Only Frees

because we are outside of the period of time when a player can be transfered into USA/Can to play in MLS

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Also

Why would SJ be scoping out a keeper? Joe Cannon and Jon Busch are both excellent keepers. Busch is too good to be sitting on the bench too IMO.

by chrisperry1983 on Sep 6, 2010 5:54 PM PDT reply actions

Cannon is out for the rest of the year

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Or fairly close

and this guy played with Yallop

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Even with the broken ankle

he’ll be money when he’s back. Not sure what you mean by the Yallop reference, other than that Cannon is getting up there in age?

by chrisperry1983 on Sep 6, 2010 7:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Yallop played with Wright

So this is a “Hey, let’s see if you got anything.”

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Ohhhhh

Wright and Yallop, not Cannon and Yallop. I’m on the same page now.

by chrisperry1983 on Sep 6, 2010 7:45 PM PDT up reply actions

DeMerit to Wolfburg?

That would justify his ignoring MLS.

LINKY

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Sep 6, 2010 6:44 PM PDT reply actions

DeMerit

Puh-lees. I’ve been wanting another quality c-back all season. Ianni has far surpassed my very meager expectations of him this season, but DeMerit is cast in a totally different mode. Smart, tough, tactically sound, very strong cross, he really just got caught in a numbers game in England and misplaced fear that he’s injury prone. He does tend to just throw himself into dangerous situations, but I think we could use that toughness. We could also use the quality depth on the back line. He would pair well with either Parke or Ianni.

by swansuite on Sep 7, 2010 8:46 AM PDT reply actions

Seattle's CBs are solid

Not EPL solid, but MLS solid. I personally think we have the deepest pool of talent in CB of any position on the field. And probably in the league.

Parke has been playing great all year. Hurtado is a stud and should be back from the IR next year. behind that we have Ianni, Marshall and Graham. Ianni would start on most MLS teams. Graham is also a solid defender who would probably get plenty of playing time on another team who didn’t quite have the depth at CB that we do.

by Dizzo on Sep 7, 2010 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions