Marcus Hahnemann "To Talk To Sigi" First
by Dave Clark on Jun 1, 2011 4:55 PM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
Email
Print
People love rumors. Often times they aren't true, and in the modern era of the internet people without a source will make claims of offers. But let's just look at Marcus Hahnemann's words to ESPN over twitter.
"I have to talk to Sigi Schmid and the guys in Seattle to see if they actually want me first."
Hahnemann is a Free this summer, and local with ties the Seattle Sounders in their A-League version (not owned by Adrian Hanauer) it was a natural question for him to be asked while in the USA. He was born close by, went to two high schools of which I am familiar (Kentridge was my own, and Newport). Many have thought that he's the natural replacement for Kasey Keller.
And it does make sense. Hahnemann is a good keeper. He can still make jaw-dropping saves, but he's also now just a non-league competition keeper in England, as his manager has gone a different direction. This would be the time to get him, but it would likely take a large chunk of change and prevent an addition of a designated player this summer. Unless Adrian, Sigi and Chris Henderson can talk him into the Keller technique of taking a few months off and training with the team.
If Seattle were to add Hahnemann it would likely end the chances of Terry Boss to start in the near term, and would give third stringers Josh Ford and Bryan Meredith a shot at the backup role in 2012. Marcus in this past English season made only 17 starts and giving up 1.64 goals per match. It is likely that his time at the top flight is done, as a starter.
So could he come home? Could he come to where he was featured on the display by the ECS of the historical dominance? Would he willing to take a major pay-cut and not play for several months?
I guess he'll have to talk to Sigi first.
UPDATE: Joshua Mayers has a statement from Adrian.
58 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I'm a little less worried about the money..
…and more worried about the allocation order. Whoever puts the claim in on him will probably want more than allocation dollars or a third-round pick in return.
I wouldn't give up allocation dollars
but I would give up non-first round picks like candy
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Which probably means other teams are less likely to be satisfied with non-first-round picks...
…I’d guess. Hahnemann’s not as valuable as McBride was when McBride came back, but the Fire had to trade a first-round pick and future considerations to pry McBride from Toronto. Tough to say what it would take to get Hahnemann.
Some teams value draft picks differently
I just don’t see much success differences between 2nd and 3rd round picks
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
It seems difficult to say just how much draft picks are worth these days
The draft keeps getting deeper, but the league keeps expanding. And with more money, there is a larger pool of foreign players that come into play.
Totally agree
The MLS draft isn’t deep enough to care about stockpiling picks beyond the first round.
by B-Lot tailgater on Jun 2, 2011 8:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Do we not have a "waiver" order
that Chivas is is first in line for US Nationals coming over? I thought they both passed on Feilhaber & will go 1-2 in that scenario. I believe we fall somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Allocation Order
Seattle is currently 7th or 8th
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
when i say "1-2" I meant Chivas is first & Union are #2
in the “allocation rankings”. Yeah thats what it is. Allocation Rankings. I’m sure Hahnemann will be treated no differently than Benny
by Sam in P-Town on Jun 1, 2011 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Right
He would proceed through Allocation Ranking/Order, but teams are allowed to trade up in that.
A few teams of the Sounders won’t want to spend on a Keeper, others may want a guy like Adu, or ’dolo or Altidore, or Gooch
There’s lots of guys that could come back.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
not just a keeper but one at the end of his career.
by Sam in P-Town on Jun 1, 2011 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions
US National Team Keepers in their Prime are well past MLS quality
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
i agree, however
We only get him for a year or two versus getting a Beasley type – if Pachuca does not work out – that we might get for 3 or 4 years or an Adu for 7 or 8.
That is my complaint. I would never argue quality. I have seen plenty of Wolvehampton matches (sigh).
by Sam in P-Town on Jun 1, 2011 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions
You'll never get Adu for 7-8
The guy is only 21. He just became eligible to drink. He’s shown well at Rizespor, there’s no reason to think he’d come to MLS and stick around for the entirety of his career, he does not strike me as the Donovan type.
Beasley struggled with the physicality of the Scottish league, which from many accounts is similar to that of MLS (see Ljungberg, Fredrik). Adding in the numerous injuries to his legs recently and there’s little reason to think he’d have much success here.
This is all to say, I can’t see any reason to cross our fingers for someone else coming home and missing out on the chance to fill a significant point of need should we be able to move up for a decent price.
Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum
That's the only reason I'd not want to use that spot to claim Hahnemann
I would love to have him on then team, but if Altidore or someone else announces they will come back soon after, I’d be kicking myself. Hahnemann would be excellent, but I’d want someone like Altidore more, I think. You can’t really plan for that though.
Keeper is definitely going to be a huge need in the near future.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
On that note
Do we want to use an allocation order pick on this? I would much rather have Altidore than Hahneman.
Altidore's not coming back for years
He still has wads of money to earn in Europe.
Perhaps....
But the point for me still stands that I’d be more willing to save that allocation order spot for something other than a keeper.
Not that keepers are easy to find, but I just feel it might be a waste for bidding up for an allocation order spot for a guy who will be a keeper for you for only a year or two. Similar thought process to the school of thought that doesn’t want to spend DP money on a keeper either. I feel you can get quality at that position for far less $$ than most other field positions.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions
At the same point
the allocation order resets every year. So if we don’t use out 7th spot this year… we will probably further down the list to start the next cycle (not sure when it resets), assuming we continue to get above average results. There is a very small chance one of the “more desirable” MNT players coming back this year, and even then it’s unlikely they will drop to us without giving a lot up.
I can see going either way, but I don’t think holding on to the spot and passing on Hahnemann will benefit us necessarily.
Right
If keepers on large contracts (and we don’t really know what Hahnemann’s contract would be) are undesirable, then we’ll spend less in a trade to get him than we would have to spend to trade for a better USMNT player. A better USMNT player might come on an even bigger contract than Hahnemann’s. (Some teams balked at Feilhaber’s price tag, for instance.)
Hahnemann could be worth acquiring—we certainly have goalkeeping needs, even this summer for USOC and CCL it’d be nice to give Keller some time off—but if he fits and the price is reasonable, I don’t think it’s worthwhile to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone better to come along, when there’s absolutely no guarantee we’d be able to acquire that better player. If we were first in the allocation order, sure, take the chance that a better player comes along, but this far down in the order, I think you treat incoming USMNT players as if they are signed with a different team and evaluate them on the basis of whether or not it’s worthwhile to trade for them, since our position in the allocation order has nearly zero trade value.
i'm hoping
there’s some sort of clause that would just let us sign him outright. Almost like a discovery player or trialist type of action.
I’m hoping we use that DP spot on a more attacking player
Hall another option?
I’m a big an off bringing Marcus home, but there’s a part of me that’s kinda interested in taking a look at another homegrown keeper who’s playing in Houston at the moment. He’d be a longer term solution. But Marcus has still got a lot of miles left so I’d be happy either way. No matter, I think they have to make a move.
Houston wouldn't give up on Tally Hall
He’s their Pat Onstad replacement, their future.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
we have a nice u18 academy keeper too
i forget his name though i have seen him play
by Sam in P-Town on Jun 1, 2011 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Ryan Herman
But don’t get excited about young keepers. Future-National-Team-Keeper Sean Johnson isn’t even starting in Chicago anymore.
Nos Audietis
Hamid always seems up-and-down for DC, too
It’s kind of crazy for me to think that theoretically those guys shouldn’t really be entering their peak for another 4-6 years. I’ve been really impressed by Tally Hall when I’ve seen him play, I kind of wonder if he ever sneaks into the national team picture (has trained with the U23 nats in the past.)
yea better
off for him that way to get some playing time.
yep and i know of a couple other really good players that santa clara is getting
so he will also be playing for a growing and potentially good college team.
Herman
is 4-5 years or so away before i would consider him MLS starting GK material
Maybe even more than that
Ryan is a beast and will be a beast but don’t keepers tend to hit their stride in their late 20’s?
Everyone has a price
If we have something they want more they’d let him go. That’s the way a trade works. Though I agree it’s a low probability. I just like the idea of having a Gig Harborite on the squad. :)
He'd be a good addition......
But to give up a DP slot for a short term goalkeeper? Not to sure about that. But then again the DP position in Seattle is completely mismanaged and a bust anyway, so why not?
Well we need to do something about the position. If Boss is the starter next year we’re doomed.
by Philip Mueller on Jun 2, 2011 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Why do you say that?
Because one out of our 4 franchise’s DPs retired at the start of the season after helping us get to the playoffs the year before? Nkufo was aquired on a free, was he not? At 35/36, he wasn’t in the long-term plans anyway, and we only paid him for a half a year’s worth of service…
If you want to talk about DP busts, good thing you’re not a Houston fan.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Disagree
For all his warts, Ljungberg still helped give this team credibility on the international stage and was a significant contributor in 2009. To qualify as a “bust” in any sport, the player would had to have not been a significant contributor at any point.
Ljungberg and Nkufo, as popular or unpopular as they may be, both made significant contributions to the team in their time here.
If you want to talk about busts, you need to discuss players like Landin and Castillo – players that rarely even saw the pitch due to poor performances. THAT is a bust.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
To add to your comment....
A lot of DPs in the league have been busts many of them much, much worse than anything we’ve had (Nerry Castillo anyone?). Everyone expects their team’s DP to be the next Landon Donovan. But Donovan was more the exception than the rule for DPs.
I just don't get
Why someone spends so much time complaining about something they CHOOSE to follow.
Really don't like the allocation order deal for USMNT players....
We have the salary cap for levelling the field, don’t need this too. I think players that have paid their dues plying their trade in Europe for years should be able to choose where to play in the MLS when they come “home” if they want.
I’m not saying Marcus would choose here, necessarily, but in general – I’d rather the players go where they want to play.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 9:20 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I disagree
I think it’s not a matter of parity, but of spreading the star power throughout the league. Lift the allocation order, and teams in more out-of-the-way locations (Columbus, KC, etc.) are that much less likely to get USMNT players.
Eventually I don’t think it will be an issue, because it will be more interesting to have USMNT players before they leave for Europe.
If the league is trying to grow, getting the stars to come home would be a good start
And not letting them have much control over where they’ll end up doesn’t seem like it will help that goal.
As ABTsportsline said, between the Salary Cap and allocation dollars, the need for the allocation order seems to be outdated.
Star power is already controlled by salary cap
Teams have the ability to spend how they see fit. New York choose to spend money on and bring guys like Theirry Henry over – there’s your star power, and that’s not even a returning USMNT player. So if a team wants to sign a USMNT player for star power, they can use a DP slot if they want. If more than one team wants a player, there can be a bidding war just like any other sport. Ultimately the player could choose where he wanted to play, however.
I think if you remove the ability to allow veterans to choose where they can play, you remove the shine/luster off the idea of coming home to MLS.
I just don’t want a situation where USMNT players are deciding NOT to come back because their hometown isn’t Chivas, Toronto, or whomever else is at the top of the allocation order now. The cynic in me thinks that might be part of the reason why Beasley went to Mexico instead of coming to MLS…
by ABTsportsline on Jun 2, 2011 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions
It could be part of the reason Beasley is going to Mexico...
…but I’m sure the main reason is money. Right now, MLS is paying enough to bring back younger players who are playing in Scandinavia (Perkins and Feilhaber), because they don’t pay that much and probably also because taxes are so high there, or someone recovering from injury and struggling to get reserve playing time (Davies), or guys who are having trouble getting playing time in Europe (Keller, Convey, Cooper, DeMerit.) For anyone who is getting comparable-to-MLS pay in Europe, their potential earnings are much larger if they stay in Europe.
So the only way to get players to return earlier in their career is to increase the salaries a lot. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of appetite for that in the league at the moment (especially given, say, the lukewarm appeal of spending $400K/year on Feilhaber.) But the good news is that salaries are gradually increasing, and we will keep players longer on the front end of their career as salaries continue to inch up. (Or even just keep them from ignoring MLS in the first place.)
I'll have to republish the table that balanced salary for cost of living and taxes
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Cost of living matters more if you're making, say, less than $100K
The taxes will be a factor at all salary levels. Someone like Altidore, making $1M+ is (hopefully) banking more money than he is paying in rent, food, etc.. I would be interested to see what the taxes and cost-of-living are like in different leagues, though.
Let's look at Jozy only right now
The numbers weren’t run for Turkey, because this is from data about two years ago (still should be good ballpark though), and your assumed 1M$ contract if he were to be in the USA. This is how much US he’d have to make in various foreign leagues for the same “spending money” based on Purchasing Power Parity and Tax rates in upper mid/upper brackets.
UK – 1,698,330
Germany – 1,548,341
Spain – 1,307,679
Sweden – 2,212,269
I have other countries on the table as well, but outside of Latin America and Portugal take contracts are made significantly smaller by costs of housing, lifestyle and higher tax rates.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Allocation order
We’ve gone over this a few times on the blog, but it bears repeating: The point of the allocation order is that without it, you have free agency. Now, I’m OK with free agency, but as long as the league doesn’t allow it, they can’t give players from outside the league rights that players inside the league don’t have.
And in case you’re thinking, “well, non US players don’t have to go through allocation” that’s because they are distributed through Discovery Claims, which keep them from acting as free agents.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Jun 2, 2011 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions
is this possible?
Is it possible to sign someone to a non-MLS contract for a few months? Ie, they could play in USOC and CCL matches (and reserve matches) and not count against the salary cap or be on the roster for MLS purposes…
no
all players on the usoc and ccl rosters have to be on the MLS roster.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Jun 2, 2011 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Sounder At Heart
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
