Who will be the next Captain?

Mauro is the sage veteran on this team. His pedigree, work ethic, role on the team and willingness to play last season for the league minimum will carry tremendous weight. He also appears to be reasonably bilingual. It was easy to forget that Kasey spoke German and Spanish.

This team has a strong Latin American core. If the FO’s current forays into Central America lead to additional international signings, the team could routinely field a team where 7 of the starting 11 have Spanish as their first language. Mauro will have the on field presence to wear the Captain’s band.

Parke is also a veteran and Evans elevated his game when he was asked to wear the band. Much will depend on Sigi and who is playing. But for me, all things being equal, the armband should go to Mauro most games.

Age, role, experience, demeanor, respect. It’s Rosales.

However, with a GK as a captain, we almost never had to think about 2nd and 3rd captains. Rosales isn’t playing 90 min every game. So we need a list of preferred captains depending on who’s in.

So if not Roslaes, I’d go Evans, Ozzie, Fredy.

He’s regularly referred to as a “coach on the field.” It won’t make a lot of people happy, but I bet the armband goes to number 3.

But I don’t think that necessarily makes him Captain. I don’t think a winger is a first choice, too removed from the center of the pitch which is where the Referee usually is, it’s an added burden for a position that needs all the energy possible for runs, same reasons I wouldn’t give it to Forward. For me, it’s Keeper, Center Back, or Center Mid preferably defensive, both for their central positioning and their ability to see the field of play in front of them and have a bigger picture view. Arguments can be made for Full Backs but again, I’m thinking more along the lines of first choices so even if Riley was here, great leader, not Captain, also he can get heated at times which is a liability for that role.

Gspurning is too new, I think that’s unanimously obvious from the 2 votes for Other in the above poll, Keeper is out.

Alonso is a good choice, I don’t know that he’d be comfortable in the position for various reasons, Referee discussions which he doesn’t get in to often other than blowing them off or throwing out a quick compalint, the amount of yellows he accumulates, his English which is still coming along, etc. I love the Honey Badger, but I don’t think he’s Captain.

Evans would be a great choice if he wasn’t often injured, he can’t stay on the pitch, love him but he’s not Captain. If Sigi makes him Captain, we’ll have confirmation of exactly how much he values him with Brad colored glasses.

Hurtado doesn’t seem like a leader to me. He’s a great player, he seems like a loyal teammate, he works as hard as anyone on the pitch, but for the same reasons I would have problems giving the armband to Alonso, I would have problems giving it to Hurtado.

Which brings me to Parke. He’s a veteran. He’s a leader. He’s vocal. He often discusses things with the Ref in a good manner. He doesn’t accumulate yellows. He doesn’t get heated often. He seems to captain the back line already and organize them along with Keller who is no more. I’ve got to give it to Parke.

Easy choice for me.

It was part instinctual and part reasoning. He’s probably now the starter who has the most experience in the MLS, and a leader of the backline. While I think Mauro will be a leader of the team, I think Parke will interface the best with the refs. I also don’t want the captain’s role distracting Mauro, as Thalas argues above. I think Parke would make an excellent captain, and I don’t see either Parke or Mauro getting caught up in a battle of egos.

But I’d really be okay with either.

Parke is veteran to the league, puts in minutes, sees the field at all times, he and El Presidente live closest to our ‘keeper (who always seem to have a grasp of the game, like a catcher in baseball), and he always seems to keep a level head. I do also like #TheTrialist as an option, and Alonso can do no wrong. With the amount that Alonso gets in on tackles, confronts chippy situations, and barks his opinion already, wearing the arm band will only gain him more respect within the league and with league officials. Plus Osvaldo is constantly in the run of play and around the ball which probably sways my vote his way, but I believe you can’t go wrong with either of these gentlemen.

I haven’t heard anybody argue that Guh-SHPERN-ing should be awarded this honor. I understand why not, but a ’keeper is always a good option, and I hope we got a future cpt. with this signing… thoughts?

only 2 votes so far for “other”? I feel like there were more people leaving Montero or Zakuani off their protected lists than have felt that someone other than the options presented should get the captain’s band. Not that I’d advocate it, but (almost) no votes for Gspurning, Friberg, Flaco, Zakuani or Hurtado?

but it was a difficult choice between Ozzie and Mauro. Mauro got the nod due to his English skills which would be necessary when dealing with the ref but Ozzie’s central location gives him a better view anything that might happen.

Justification? Watching what happened to the team anytime he set foot on the pitch.