Supplemental Draft Sees Seattle Sounders With Four Rough Diamonds
by Dave Clark on Jan 17, 2012 2:19 PM PST
in Sounders: Draft
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PrintUPDATE: The Sounder also acquired UCLA midfielder Andy Rose from Real Salt Lake in exchange for Leone Cruz, a second round pick a year ago who did not make the team.
There is an excitement offered to watching a rough diamond polished, in tracking and following their progress. When Seattle Sounders FC picked Tim Pontius, Jason Banton, Abdul Aman and Wes Feighner, four more potential diamonds were picked. One of these may make the squad ala Mike Fucito and Josh Ford. Others are likely to go the way Jamel Wallace or Seedy Bah. Of the many players brought in to try to make the 2012 squad, these lesser knowns have to show just a bit more.
In Tim Pontius Seattle grabbed a defender who has an amazing goal to his name already. He's also the younger brother of D.C. United's Chris Pontius. The UC Santa Barbara player will be reunited with a backline mate in Michael Tetteh. His ability, not the rare goal or familial relations, will be why he makes the team.
Banton bumped around various teams in England. Already fairly popular on Twitter, he'll have to show the promise that had him in systems like Liverpool and Arsenal as opposed to the roughness that caused Leicester City to loan him down to Burton Albion.
Abdul Aman played only one season with the University of Washington Huskies scoring 2 goals in 11 appearances. Ethiopian born and Seattle raised Aman joins two other drafted Huskies (Finch and Hustedt) as well as Brent Richards, Andrew Duran and three other Creighton players coached by Jamie Clark who will have the opportunity to make 2012 MLS rosters.
Wes Feighner is out of Cal Poly SLO. The left back was a multi-year captain at the central coast school. Keeping track of his academic awards can be difficult as they are numerous. He was also recognized with a CLASS award for his combination of classroom, character, community and competition.
Each of these players are rough. If they weren't, they wouldn't be Supplemental Draft picks. Each with a different appeal, you have the oppurtunity to 'discover' one and track their progress through what could be a short stay in training or a multi-year career when you can tell your seat mates "I first heard of that guy back in ..."
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I quite like Banton
I saw a bit of him with Liverpool since I watch a lot of reserve and youth play when I get the chance. Very talented physically, but quite raw technically. Not a bad gamble at all with that sort of pick. I like him better on the wing instead of up top, but I can see how his skillset would work at forward in MLS, especially when paired with a target man.
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 2:24 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I really wish that MLS had 33 players on roster
mainly because I like symmetry and pattern.
But also because I want real, actual Reserve Teams
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A full three deep at each spot?
I’d definitely like to be able to do that. Useful for both depth and development.
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 2:36 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
plus my 3XIs joke would be better!
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 2:58 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
3 XI's
Makes it possible to have a starter, backup, and youth player at each position. Seems nice, but they really need are games.
One thought i had. Could we allow the MLS teams to run a 2nd/3rd div team with players that need experience. How bout we allow a certian ammount of transfer between the two teams each season. Kind of treat it like minor leagues for baseball. You can have 30 players on your roster at a time, but you could interchange them with your lower div team when you need. This would take some refineing to make it fair but i think it would help both the MLS teams develop talent, and the 2nd/3rd Div leagues have more teams and talent.
It would be nice to have, say, a 28-man roster and a 40-man roster...
…the way that MLB teams have a 25-man roster and a 40-man roster. Players on the 40- but not the 28-man roster could be loaned out or playing for a reserve or academy team. I think this might help MLS scouts somewhat in that they would have more time to follow players after they are drafted to get a better idea of which characteristics will make a prospect into a successful MLS player. And the first team games would potentially improve if the raw prospects have somewhere else to improve until they are good enough for first team minutes.
Not a terrible idea, really.
It’d be a good way to add a “uniquely American” element to the sport (even of just in a subtle way) without trashing the tradition of the sport in any way, while helping teams develop more talent for the league.
There would have to be some pretty strict rules about the extra 12 spots to prevent abuse, but that shouldn’t be too hard.
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 3:29 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Yeah, the rules might be a bit tricky...
…but I’m sure they could work out the kinks over a few years.
28 kind of makes sense
2 teams of 11 starters + 3 subs
The extra two players that pushes the number to 30 is a bit arbitrary, though.
I agree that it would be nice to have actual reserve teams (and a subsequently longer schedule for them.)
an expanded reserve league couldn't co-travel
and so the 18 on the gameday roster traveling couldn’t be on the reserve roster.
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Sure...
The 2 teams of 11 starters + 3 subs comment was more directed towards the idea of symmetry. And since the first team would have multiple competitions to deal with (at least MLS and USOC every year), and some weeks with two league games, it’d be nice to have 14 guys around, plus just having enough for a full 11v11 scrimmage in practice.
Ideally (in my world), the reserve teams would be run somewhat like AAA baseball teams are run. MLS teams would be affiliated with NASL sides (many of which would have to be created for this to work.) Then MLS teams would have a 40-man roster and they would loan out players not on their 28-man roster to their affiliated NASL side (or to other leagues if they really wanted to.) The affiliated NASL side would then have discretion in filling out the rest of the team’s roster. The MLS side would have a lot of input on making sure their top guys get minutes, otherwise making sure that they were loaned out elsewhere. Affiliations could be renegotiated if the MLS and NASL management weren’t on the same page.
A system like that (where MLS teams pay the salaries for players in NASL) could help up the quality of play in NASL before those teams are able to create much revenue.
Do you like Banton or Cato more?
Seven internationals on the roster right now:
Gspurning, Johansson, Tetteh, Flaco, Rosales, Sivebaek, Sanyang
Add in Banton and Cato and you’re one over.
Fernandez
should be getting his green card soon. So once Seattle announces that then we won’t be 1 over.
well actually
you are right.
We apparently just acquired Andy Rose from RSL for rights to cruz. So we would still be 1 over.
So good luck to him and Banton
Looks like they’ll actually be the ones battling it out for that final international spot.
I think we’re high enough on Cato already.
Depends
on how camp goes and if seattle were to cut any one from their roster that could open an international spot or another player gets his green card in addition to Alvaro.
It’ll be interesting to see where the roster ends up once march hits.
I haven't seen enough on Cato to know.
I just know that I like what I’ve seen from Banton, at least when adding him to a team of this level.
But like gstommylee said, that shouldn’t be an issue for long. Even then, odds are probably against them both making it anyways.
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Right
No need to fit all the internationals in prior to seeing if they are actually good enough.
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Hey Dave I replied to you in the old thread right before the new one came up.
Just a point of clarification about Alvarado – were you predicting him coming to MLS in general or on something a little more specific?
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question about possible U-23s
if this happened, could we move supplemental draft players here? in other words, is there a way for us to sign them but not put them on the roster/have them count against cap?
U-23
is gonna be amateur club so i doubt it.
unless
they don’t mind not getting paid.
by gstommylee on Jan 17, 2012 3:04 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
There's no reason to loan them
We would control their rights for a couple years, so unless they have other offers waiting, they can just go to Kitsap and we can pay attention.
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by Jeremiah Oshan on Jan 17, 2012 3:47 PM PST up reply actions
Mayers: Let's try that again. The Sounders have traded the MLS rights of Leone Cruz ('11 draft pick) to RSL for their '12 Supp. draft pick Andy Rose
Anyone know anything about Rose? Where does he play in MF?
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Right you are
‘primarily a holding midfielder’, so not exactly the box to box type.
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Perhaps
to create competition between Rose and Sanyang.
Competition is never a bad thing.
I really like Sanyang, but if Rose beats him out I won’t be too upset about it. Just means he beat out his competition.
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 3:26 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Right
you are. Competition for spots would be good regardless of who makes it and who doesn’t.
Team quote sheet from Henderson and Kurt Schmid on the FIVE players
Chris Henderson – Sounders FC Technical Director
(On Andy Rose…) "He’s a player that we really like. He’s a two-way midfielder. He can also sit in as a holding midfielder—he’s pretty versatile. He’s been a captain at his previous teams and growing up. He’s a good pro, can be a leader. He seems, at a young age, to be a student of the game."
(On Tim Pontius…) "I think he’s another guy who can play center back. He can play defensive center mid, so his versatility is good. He’s a smart player, as well. I think he’s a coachable player, someone who will fit into the system, is willing to learn, will put in the effort every day in training—another good pro."
(On Jason Banton…) "Banton grew up in the Arsenal youth system, similar to Steve Zakuani. He’s bounced around to a couple clubs, but he’s the type of player that likes to attack on the wing. You can tell he’s been taught how to play the right midfield position with his movement and his moves are set up to work the wing. We think he’s a guy who, depending on how things play out with our wingers, that he might be a guy who can step in on either flank."
(On Abdul Aman…) "He’s a player we’ve been able to watch for a while. He’s very excited to come in. I think he’s going to have the opportunity to take players on and have some freedom up top. We have to see what the right combinations up top are. I think he’s keen to come in and work hard and fight for a spot."
Kurt Schmid – Sounders FC Assistant Coach/Scout
(On Wes Feighner…) "He’s a very athletic, physical outside back. He played most of the year at left back but he’s right-footed."
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by Dave Clark on Jan 17, 2012 3:21 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Hm, Android app ate my comment it appears.
Not to disagree with Chris, but I personally prefer Banton on the left from what I’ve seen. Just seems more fluid and natural there to me. He’s fine enough on the right, but it seems more… forced, like he’s having to think about it too much.
But then, he’s the pro, and I’m just a fan who pays way to much attention to stuff like that. He’s probably seen a lot more of Banton than I have, too.
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Rumors that Banton went on a bender and lost a year's worth of zero salary play to Sigi at the craps table are unconfirmed.
:)
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There could always be side bets
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You should check the lightbulbs in your room.
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by c_dowley on Jan 17, 2012 4:35 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Aman and Pontius
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Feighner
Saw him play against Akron. He’s actually the one that caused the PK that they lost on. Didn’t stand out to me, but obviously the Sounders have seen him way more than I have.
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